scholarly journals A heterochromatin-specific RNA export pathway facilitates piRNA production

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa F. ElMaghraby ◽  
Peter Refsing Andersen ◽  
Florian Pühringer ◽  
Katharina Meixner ◽  
Thomas Lendl ◽  
...  

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide transposon silencing in animals. The 22-30nt piRNAs are processed in the cytoplasm from long non-coding RNAs. How piRNA precursors, which often lack RNA processing hallmarks of export-competent transcripts, achieve nuclear export is unknown. Here, we uncover the RNA export pathway specific for piRNA precursors in theDrosophilagermline. This pathway requires Nxf3-Nxt1, a variant of the hetero-dimeric mRNA export receptor Nxf1-Nxt1. Nxf3 interacts with UAP56, a nuclear RNA helicase essential for mRNA export, and CG13741/Bootlegger, which recruits Nxf3-Nxt1 and UAP56 to heterochromatic piRNA source loci. Upon RNA cargo binding, Nxf3 achieves nuclear export via the exportin Crm1, and accumulates together with Bootlegger in peri-nuclear nuage, suggesting that after export, Nxf3-Bootlegger delivers precursor transcripts to the piRNA processing sites. Our findings indicate that the piRNA pathway bypasses nuclear RNA surveillance systems to achieve export of heterochromatic, unprocessed transcripts to the cytoplasm, a strategy also exploited by retroviruses.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Kneuss ◽  
Marzia Munafò ◽  
Evelyn L. Eastwood ◽  
Undine-Sophie Deumer ◽  
Jonathan B. Preall ◽  
...  

AbstractThe piRNA pathway is a conserved, small RNA-based immune system that protects animal germ cell genomes from the harmful effects of transposon mobilisation. In Drosophila ovaries, most piRNAs originate from dual-strand clusters, which generate piRNAs from both genomic strands. Dual-strand clusters use non-canonical transcription mechanisms. Although transcribed by RNA polymerase II, cluster transcripts lack splicing signatures and poly(A) tails. mRNA processing is important for general mRNA export mediated by Nuclear export factor 1. Although UAP56, a component of the transcription and export complex, has been implicated in piRNA precursor export, it remains unknown how dual-strand cluster transcripts are specifically targeted for piRNA biogenesis by export from the nucleus to cytoplasmic processing centers. Here we report that dual-strand cluster transcript export requires CG13741/Bootlegger and the Drosophila Nuclear export factor family protein, Nxf3. Bootlegger is specifically recruited to piRNA clusters and in turn brings Nxf3. We find that Nxf3 specifically binds to piRNA precursors and is essential for their export to piRNA biogenesis sites, a process that is critical for germline transposon silencing. Our data shed light on how dual-strand clusters compensate for a lack of canonical features of mature mRNAs to be specifically exported via Nxf3, ensuring proper piRNA production.


2005 ◽  
Vol 387 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. L. WILLIAMS ◽  
James R. BOYNE ◽  
Delyth J. GOODWIN ◽  
Louise ROADEN ◽  
Guillaume M. HAUTBERGUE ◽  
...  

HVS (herpesvirus saimiri) is the prototype γ-2 herpesvirus. This is a subfamily of herpesviruses gaining importance since the identification of the first human γ-2 herpesvirus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. The HVS ORF 57 (open reading frame 57) protein is a multifunctional transregulatory protein homologous with genes identified in all classes of herpesviruses. Recent work has demonstrated that ORF 57 has the ability to bind viral RNA, shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm and promotes the nuclear export of viral transcripts. In the present study, we show that ORF 57 shuttles between the nucleus and cytoplasm in a CRM-1 (chromosomal region maintenance 1)-independent manner. ORF 57 interacts with the mRNA export factor REF (RNA export factor) and two other components of the exon junction complex, Y14 and Magoh. The association of ORF 57 with REF stimulates recruitment of the cellular mRNA export factor TAP (Tip-associated protein), and HVS infection triggers the relocalization of REF and TAP from the nuclear speckles to several large clumps within the cell. Using a dominant-negative form of TAP and RNA interference to deplete TAP, we show that it is essential for bulk mRNA export in mammalian cells and is required for ORF 57-mediated viral RNA export. Furthermore, we show that the disruption of TAP reduces viral replication. These results indicate that HVS utilizes ORF 57 to recruit components of the exon junction complex and subsequently TAP to promote viral RNA export through the cellular mRNA export pathway.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Zhao ◽  
Sha Cheng ◽  
Na Miao ◽  
Ping Xu ◽  
Xiaohua Lu ◽  
...  

AbstractThe repression of transposons by the Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway is essential to protect animal germ cells. In Drosophila ovaries, Panoramix (Panx) enforces transcriptional silencing by binding to the target-engaged Piwi-piRNA complex, although the precise mechanisms by which this occurs remain elusive. Here, we show that Panx functions together with a germline specific paralogue of a nuclear export factor, dNxf2, and its cofactor dNxt1 (p15), as a ternary complex to suppress transposon expression. Structural and functional analyses demonstrate that dNxf2 binds Panx via its UBA domain, which plays an important role in transposon silencing. Unexpectedly, dNxf2 interacts directly with dNxf1 (TAP), a general nuclear export factor. As a result, dNxf2 prevents dNxf1 from binding to the FG repeats of the nuclear pore complex, a process required for proper RNA export. Transient tethering of dNxf2 to nascent transcripts leads to their nuclear retention. Therefore, we propose that dNxf2 may function as a Pandas (Panoramix-dNxf2 dependent TAP/p15 silencing) complex, which counteracts the canonical RNA exporting machinery and restricts transposons to the nuclear peripheries. Our findings may have broader implications for understanding how RNA metabolism modulates epigenetic gene silencing and heterochromatin formation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin van der Graaf ◽  
Katia Jindrich ◽  
Robert Mitchell ◽  
Helen White-Cooper

Abstract The mRNA export pathway is responsible for the transport of mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and thus is essential for protein production and normal cellular functions. A partial loss of function allele of the mRNA export factor Nxt1 in Drosophila shows reduced viability and sterility. A previous study has shown that the male fertility defect is due to a defect in transcription and RNA stability, indicating the potential for this pathway to be implicated in processes beyond the known mRNA transport function. Here we investigate the reduced viability of Nxt1 partial loss of function mutants, and describe a defect in growth and maintenance of the larval muscles, leading to muscle degeneration. RNA-seq revealed reduced expression of a set of mRNAs, particularly from genes with long introns in Nxt1 mutant carcass. We detected differential expression of circRNA, and significantly fewer distinct circRNAs expressed in the mutants. Despite the widespread defects in gene expression, muscle degeneration was rescued by increased expression of the costamere component tn (abba) in muscles. This is the first report of a role for the RNA export pathway gene Nxt1 in the maintenance of muscle integrity. Our data also links the mRNA export pathway to a specific role in the expression of mRNA and circRNA from common precursor genes, in vivo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeki Hirakata ◽  
Mikiko C. Siomi

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that repress transposons in animal germlines. This protects the genome from the invasive DNA elements. piRNA pathway failures lead to DNA damage, gonadal development defects, and infertility. Thus, the piRNA pathway is indispensable for the continuation of animal life. piRNA-mediated transposon silencing occurs in both the nucleus and cytoplasm while piRNA biogenesis is a solely cytoplasmic event. piRNA production requires a number of proteins, the majority of which localize to non-membranous organelles that specifically appear in the gonads. Other piRNA factors are localized on outer mitochondrial membranes. In situ RNA hybridization experiments show that piRNA precursors are compartmentalized into other non-membranous organelles. In this review, we summarize recent findings about the function of these organelles in the Drosophila piRNA pathway by focusing on their assembly and function.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (20) ◽  
pp. 9353-9361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hal P. Bogerd ◽  
Heather L. Wiegand ◽  
Jin Yang ◽  
Bryan R. Cullen

ABSTRACT Nuclear export of the incompletely spliced mRNAs encoded by several complex retroviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), is dependent on a virally encoded adapter protein, termed Rev in HIV-1, that directly binds both to a cis-acting viral RNA target site and to the cellular Crm1 export factor. Human endogenous retrovirus K, a family of ancient endogenous retroviruses that is not related to the exogenous retrovirus HIV-1, was recently shown to also encode a Crm1-dependent nuclear RNA export factor, termed K-Rev. Although HIV-1 Rev and K-Rev display little sequence identity, they share the ability not only to bind to Crm1 and to RNA but also to form homomultimers and shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm. We have used mutational analysis to identify sequences in the 105-amino-acid K-Rev protein required for each of these distinct biological activities. While mutations in K-Rev that inactivate any one of these properties also blocked K-Rev-dependent nuclear RNA export, several K-Rev mutants were comparable to wild type when assayed for any of these individual activities yet nevertheless defective for RNA export. Although several nonfunctional K-Rev mutants acted as dominant negative inhibitors of K-Rev-, but not HIV-1 Rev-, dependent RNA export, these were not defined by their inability to bind to Crm1, as is seen with HIV-1 Rev. In total, this analysis suggests a functional architecture for K-Rev that is similar to, but distinct from, that described for HIV-1 Rev and raises the possibility that viral RNA export mediated by the ∼25 million-year-old K-Rev protein may require an additional cellular cofactor that is not required for HIV-1 Rev function.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 2379
Author(s):  
Nafiseh Chalabi Hagkarim ◽  
Roger J. Grand

The mammalian Ccr4–Not complex, carbon catabolite repression 4 (Ccr4)-negative on TATA-less (Not), is a large, highly conserved, multifunctional assembly of proteins that acts at different cellular levels to regulate gene expression. In the nucleus, it is involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, chromatin modification, activation and inhibition of transcription initiation, control of transcription elongation, RNA export, nuclear RNA surveillance, and DNA damage repair. In the cytoplasm, the Ccr4–Not complex plays a central role in mRNA decay and affects protein quality control. Most of our original knowledge of the Ccr4–Not complex is derived, primarily, from studies in yeast. More recent studies have shown that the mammalian complex has a comparable structure and similar properties. In this review, we summarize the evidence for the multiple roles of both the yeast and mammalian Ccr4–Not complexes, highlighting their similarities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. S38
Author(s):  
C. Klec ◽  
D. Schwarzenbacher ◽  
B. Gottschalk ◽  
R. Margit ◽  
F. Prinz ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baojin Ding ◽  
Anne M. Mirza ◽  
James Ashley ◽  
Vivian Budnik ◽  
Mary Munson

ABSTRACTIn eukaryotes, subsets of exported mRNAs are organized into large ribonucleoprotein (megaRNP) granules. How megaRNPs exit the nucleus is unclear, as their diameters are much larger than the nuclear pore complex (NPC) central channel. We previously identified a non-canonical nuclear export mechanism inDrosophila(Speese et al.,Cell2012) and mammals (Ding et al., in preparation), in which megaRNPs exit the nucleus by budding across nuclear envelope (NE) membranes. Here, we present evidence for a similar pathway in the nucleus of the budding yeast S.cerevisiae, which contain morphologically similar granules bearing mRNAs. Wild-type yeast displayed these granules at very low frequency, but this frequency was dramatically increased when the non-essential NPC protein Nup116 was deleted. These granules were not artifacts of defective NPCs; a mutation in the exportinXPO1(CRM1), in which NPCs are normal, induced similar megaRNP upregulation. We hypothesize that a non-canonical nuclear export pathway, analogous to those observed inDrosophilaand in mammalian cells, exists in yeast, and that this pathway is upregulated for use when NPCs or nuclear export are impaired.SUMMARYDing et al., describe a non-canonical mRNA export pathway in budding yeast similar to that observed inDrosophila. This pathway appears upregulated when the NPC is impaired, nuclear envelope integrity is disrupted, or the export factor Xpo1 (CRM1) is defective.


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