The Musashi family RNA-binding proteins in stem cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenichi Horisawa ◽  
Takao Imai ◽  
Hideyuki Okano ◽  
Hiroshi Yanagawa

AbstractThe Musashi family is an evolutionarily conserved group of RNA-binding proteins. In mammal, two members of the group, Msi1 and Msi2, have been identified to date. Msi1 is considered to play roles in maintaining the stem cell status (stemness) of neural stem/progenitor cells in adults and in the development of central nervous system through translational regulation of its target mRNAs, which encode regulators of signal transduction and the cell cycle. Recently, strong expression of Msi1 in various somatic stem/progenitor cells of adult tissues, such as eye, gut, stomach, breast, and hair follicle, has been reported. The protein is also expressed in various cancer cells, and ectopically emerging cells have been found in neural tissues of patients with diseases involving neural disorder, including epilepsy. Many novel target mRNAs and regulatory pathways of Msi1 have been reported in recent years. Here, we present a review of the functions and action mechanisms of Msi1 protein and discuss possible directions for further study.

2010 ◽  
Vol 430 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siew Ping Han ◽  
Yue Hang Tang ◽  
Ross Smith

The hnRNPs (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins) are RNA-binding proteins with important roles in multiple aspects of nucleic acid metabolism, including the packaging of nascent transcripts, alternative splicing and translational regulation. Although they share some general characteristics, they vary greatly in terms of their domain composition and functional properties. Although the traditional grouping of the hnRNPs as a collection of proteins provided a practical framework, which has guided much of the research on them, this approach is becoming increasingly incompatible with current knowledge about their structural and functional divergence. Hence, we review the current literature to examine hnRNP diversity, and discuss how this impacts upon approaches to the classification of RNA-binding proteins in general.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prashali Bansal ◽  
Johannes Madlung ◽  
Kristina Schaaf ◽  
Boris Macek ◽  
Fulvia Bono

AbstractDuring Drosophila oogenesis, the localization and translational regulation of maternal transcripts relies on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Many of these RBPs localize several mRNAs and may have additional direct interaction partners to regulate their functions. Using immunoprecipitation from whole Drosophila ovaries coupled to mass spectrometry, we examined protein-protein associations of 6 GFP-tagged RBPs expressed at physiological levels. Analysis of the interaction network and further validation in human cells allowed us to identify 26 previously unknown associations, besides recovering several well characterized interactions. We identified interactions between RBPs and several splicing factors, providing links between nuclear and cytoplasmic events of mRNA regulation. Additionally, components of the translational and RNA decay machineries were selectively co-purified with some baits, suggesting a mechanism for how RBPs may regulate maternal transcripts. Given the evolutionary conservation of the studied RBPs, the interaction network presented here provides the foundation for future functional and structural studies of mRNA localization across metazoans.


eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Arribas-Hernández ◽  
Sarah Rennie ◽  
Michael Schon ◽  
Carlotta Porcelli ◽  
Balaji Enugutti ◽  
...  

Gene regulation via N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in mRNA involves RNA-binding proteins that recognize m6A via a YT521-B homology (YTH) domain. The plant YTH domain proteins ECT2 and ECT3 act genetically redundantly in stimulating cell proliferation during organogenesis, but several fundamental questions regarding their mode of action remain unclear. Here, we use HyperTRIBE (targets of RNA-binding proteins identified by editing) to show that most ECT2 and ECT3 targets overlap, with only few examples of preferential targeting by either of the two proteins. HyperTRIBE in different mutant backgrounds also provides direct views of redundant and specific target interactions of the two proteins. We also show that contrary to conclusions of previous reports, ECT2 does not accumulate in the nucleus. Accordingly, inactivation of ECT2, ECT3 and their surrogate ECT4 does not change patterns of polyadenylation site choice in ECT2/3 target mRNAs, but does lead to lower steady state accumulation of target mRNAs. In addition, mRNA and microRNA expression profiles show indications of stress response activation in ect2/ect3/ect4 mutants, likely via indirect effects. Thus, previous suggestions of control of alternative polyadenylation by ECT2 are not supported by evidence, and ECT2 and ECT3 act largely redundantly to regulate target mRNA, including its abundance, in the cytoplasm.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1485-1502
Author(s):  
Prashali Bansal ◽  
Johannes Madlung ◽  
Kristina Schaaf ◽  
Boris Macek ◽  
Fulvia Bono

During Drosophila oogenesis, the localization and translational regulation of maternal transcripts relies on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Many of these RBPs localize several mRNAs and may have additional direct interaction partners to regulate their functions. Using immunoprecipitation from whole Drosophila ovaries coupled to mass spectrometry, we examined protein-protein associations of 6 GFP-tagged RBPs expressed at physiological levels. Analysis of the interaction network and further validation in human cells allowed us to identify 26 previously unknown associations, besides recovering several well characterized interactions. We identified interactions between RBPs and several splicing factors, providing links between nuclear and cytoplasmic events of mRNA regulation. Additionally, components of the translational and RNA decay machineries were selectively co-purified with some baits, suggesting a mechanism for how RBPs may regulate maternal transcripts. Given the evolutionary conservation of the studied RBPs, the interaction network presented here provides the foundation for future functional and structural studies of mRNA localization across metazoans.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Katz ◽  
Roni Cohen ◽  
Oz Solomon ◽  
Beate Kaufmann ◽  
Noa Eden ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTWe employ a reporter assay and Selective 2′-hydroxyl acylation analysed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-seq) to study translational regulation by RNA-binding proteins, in bacteria. We designed 82 constructs, each with a single hairpin based on the binding sites of the RNA-binding coat proteins of phages MS2, PP7, GA, and Qβ, at various positions within the N-terminus of a reporter gene. In the absence of RNA-binding proteins, the translation level depends on hairpin location, and exhibits a three-nucleotide periodicity. For hairpin positions within the initiation region, we observe strong translational repression in the presence of its cognate RNA-binding protein. In vivo SHAPE-seq results for a representative construct indicate that the repression phenomenon correlates with a wide-swath of protection, including the hairpin and extending past the ribosome binding site. Consequently, our data suggest that the protection provided by the RBP-hairpin complex inhibits ribosomal initiation. Finally, utilizing the repression phenomenon for quantifying protein-RNA binding affinity in vivo, we both observe partially contrasting results to previous in vitro and in situ studies, and additionally, show that this method can be used in a high-throughput assay for a quantitative study of protein-RNA binding in vivo.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5898-5909 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Stripecke ◽  
C C Oliveira ◽  
J E McCarthy ◽  
M W Hentze

We demonstrate that a bacteriophage protein and a spliceosomal protein can be converted into eukaryotic translational repressor proteins. mRNAs with binding sites for the bacteriophage MS2 coat protein or the spliceosomal human U1A protein were expressed in human HeLa cells and yeast. The presence of the appropriate binding protein resulted in specific, dose-dependent translational repression when the binding sites were located in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the reporter mRNAs. Neither mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm nor mRNA stability was demonstrably affected by the binding proteins. The data thus reveal a general mechanism for translational regulation: formation of mRNA-protein complexes in the 5' UTR controls translation initiation by steric blockage of a sensitive step in the initiation pathway. Moreover, the findings establish the basis for novel strategies to study RNA-protein interactions in vivo and to clone RNA-binding proteins.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document