2004 ◽  
Vol 384 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle BOUGIE ◽  
Amélie PARENT ◽  
Martin BISAILLON

RNA-capping enzymes are involved in the synthesis of the cap structure found at the 5′-end of eukaryotic mRNAs. The present study reports a detailed study on the thermodynamic parameters involved in the interaction of an RNA-capping enzyme with its ligands. Analysis of the interaction of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA-capping enzyme (Ceg1) with GTP, RNA and manganese ions revealed significant differences between the binding forces that drive the interaction of the enzyme with its RNA and GTP substrates. Our thermodynamic analyses indicate that the initial association of GTP with the Ceg1 protein is driven by a favourable enthalpy change (ΔH=−80.9 kJ/mol), but is also clearly associated with an unfavourable entropy change (TΔS=−62.9 kJ/mol). However, the interaction between Ceg1 and RNA revealed a completely different mode of binding, where binding to RNA is clearly dominated by a favourable entropic effect (TΔS=20.5 kJ/mol), with a minor contribution from a favourable enthalpy change (ΔH=−5.3 kJ/mol). Fluorescence spectroscopy also allowed us to evaluate the initial binding of GTP to such an enzyme, thereby separating the GTP binding step from the concomitant metal-dependent hydrolysis of GTP that results in the formation of a covalent GMP–protein intermediate. In addition to the determination of the energetics of ligand binding, our study leads to a better understanding of the molecular basis of substrate recognition by RNA-capping enzymes.


2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 1934-1944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Lelke ◽  
Linda Brunotte ◽  
Carola Busch ◽  
Stephan Günther

ABSTRACT The central domain of the 200-kDa Lassa virus L protein is a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. N- and C-terminal domains may harbor enzymatic functions important for viral mRNA synthesis, including capping enzymes or cap-snatching endoribonucleases. In the present study, we have employed a large-scale mutagenesis approach to map functionally relevant residues in these regions. The main targets were acidic (Asp and Glu) and basic residues (Lys and Arg) known to form catalytic and binding sites of capping enzymes and endoribonucleases. A total of 149 different mutants were generated and tested in the Lassa virus replicon system. Nearly 25% of evolutionarily highly conserved acidic and basic side chains were dispensable for function of L protein in the replicon context. The vast majority of the remaining mutants had defects in both transcription and replication. Seven residues (Asp-89, Glu-102, Asp-119, Lys-122, Asp-129, Glu-180, and Arg-185) were selectively important for mRNA synthesis. The phenotype was particularly pronounced for Asp-89, Glu-102, and Asp-129, which were indispensable for transcription but could be replaced by a variety of amino acid residues without affecting genome replication. Bioinformatics disclosed the remote similarity of this region to type IIs endonucleases. The mutagenesis was complemented by experiments with the RNA polymerase II inhibitor α-amanitin, demonstrating dependence of viral transcription from the cellular mRNA pool. In conclusion, this paper describes an N-terminal region in L protein being important for mRNA, but not genome synthesis. Bioinformatics and cell biological experiments lend support to the hypothesis that this region could be part of a cap-snatching enzyme.


2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1598-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria H. Cowling

The Myc proteins c-Myc and N-Myc are essential for development and tissue homoeostasis. They are up-regulated by growth factors and transmit the signal for cell growth and proliferation. Myc proteins are also prominent oncogenes in many human tumour types. Myc proteins regulate the transcription of protein-encoding mRNAs and the tRNAs and rRNA which mediate mRNA translation into protein. Myc proteins also up-regulate translation by increasing addition of the 7-methylguanosine cap (methyl cap) to the 5′ end of pre-mRNA. Addition of the methyl cap increases the rate at which transcripts are translated by directing RNA modifications and translation initiation. Myc induces methyl cap formation by promoting RNA polymerase II phosphorylation which recruits the capping enzymes to RNA, and by up-regulating the enzyme SAHH (S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase), which neutralizes the inhibitory by-product of methylation reactions. Myc-induced cap methylation is a major effect of Myc function, being necessary for activated protein synthesis, cell proliferation and cell transformation. Inhibition of cap methylation is synthetic lethal with elevated Myc protein expression, which indicates the potential for cap methylation to be a therapeutic target.


2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 1010-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna S. Dunyak ◽  
Daniel S. Everdeen ◽  
Joseph G. Albanese ◽  
Cheryl L. Quinn

ABSTRACT Eukaryotic mRNAs are modified at the 5′ end with a cap structure. In fungal cells, the formation of the mRNA cap structure is catalyzed by three enzymes: triphosphatase, guanylyltransferase, and methyltransferase. Fungal capping enzymes have been proposed to be good antifungal targets because they differ significantly from their human counterparts and the genes encoding these enzymes are essential in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the present study, Candida albicans null mutants were constructed for both the mRNA triphosphatase-encoding gene (CET1) and the mRNA methyltransferase encoding gene (CCM1), proving that these genes are not essential in C. albicans. Heterozygous deletions were generated, but no null mutants were isolated for the guanylyltransferase-encoding gene (CGT1), indicating that this gene probably is essential in C. albicans. Whereas these results indicate that Cet1p and Ccm1p are not ideal molecular targets for development of anticandidal drugs, they do raise questions about the capping of mRNA and translation initiation in this fungus. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA indicates that there are not redundant genes for CET1 and CCM1 and analysis of mRNA cap structures indicate there are not alternative pathways compensating for the function of CET1 or CCM1 in the null mutants. Instead, it appears that C. albicans can survive with modified mRNA cap structures.


2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (19) ◽  
pp. 5829-5836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Chu ◽  
Aaron J. Shatkin

ABSTRACT Addition of a 5′ cap to RNA polymerase II transcripts, the first step of pre-mRNA processing in eukaryotes from yeasts to mammals, is catalyzed by the sequential action of RNA triphosphatase, guanylyltransferase, and (guanine-N-7)methyltransferase. The effects of knockdown of these capping enzymes in mammalian cells were investigated using T7 RNA polymerase-synthesized small interfering RNA and also a lentivirus-based inducible, short hairpin RNA system. Decreasing either guanylyltransferase or methyltransferase resulted in caspase-3 activation and elevated terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining characteristic of apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis was independent of p53 tumor suppressor but dependent on BAK or BAX. In addition, levels of the BH3 family member Bim increased, while Mcl-1 and Bik levels remained unchanged during apoptosis. In contrast to capping enzyme knockdown, apoptosis induced by cycloheximide inhibition of protein synthesis required BAK but not BAX. Both Bim and Mcl-1 levels decreased in cycloheximide-induced apoptosis while Bik levels were unchanged, suggesting that apoptosis in siRNA-treated cells is not a direct consequence of loss of mRNA translation. siRNA-treated BAK−/− BAX−/− double-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts failed to activate capase-3 or increase TUNEL staining but instead exhibited autophagy, as demonstrated by proteolytic processing of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and translocation of transfected green fluorescent protein-LC3 from the nucleus to punctate cytoplasmic structures.


IUBMB Life ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-129
Author(s):  
Maria Eugenia Cabrejos ◽  
Edio Maldonado

Author(s):  
Daniel A Chaves ◽  
Hui Dai ◽  
Lichao Li ◽  
James J Moresco ◽  
Myung Eun Oh ◽  
...  

SUMMARYEukaryotic cells regulate 5’ triphosphorylated (ppp-) RNAs to promote cellular functions and prevent recognition by antiviral RNA sensors. For example, RNA capping enzymes possess triphosphatase domains that remove the γ phosphates of ppp-RNAs during RNA capping. Members of the closely related PIR1 family of RNA polyphosphatases remove both the β and γ phosphates from ppp-RNAs. Here we show that C. elegans PIR-1 dephosphorylates ppp-RNAs made by cellular RdRPs and is required for the maturation of 26G-RNAs, Dicer-dependent small RNAs that regulate thousands of genes during spermatogenesis and embryogenesis. PIR-1 also regulates the CSR-1 22G-RNA pathway and has critical functions in both somatic and germline development. Our findings suggest that PIR-1 modulates both Dicer-dependent and - independent Argonaute pathways, and provide insight into how cells and viruses use a conserved RNA phosphatase to regulate and respond to ppp-RNA species.


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