scholarly journals RNA-Binding Proteins: Splicing Factors and Disease

Biomolecules ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 893-909 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alger Fredericks ◽  
Kamil Cygan ◽  
Brian Brown ◽  
William Fairbrother
Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1958
Author(s):  
Ella Alkalay ◽  
Chen Gam Ze Letova Refael ◽  
Irit Shoval ◽  
Noa Kinor ◽  
Ronit Sarid ◽  
...  

RNA-binding proteins, particularly splicing factors, localize to sub-nuclear domains termed nuclear speckles. During certain viral infections, as the nucleus fills up with replicating virus compartments, host cell chromatin distribution changes, ending up condensed at the nuclear periphery. In this study we wished to determine the fate of nucleoplasmic RNA-binding proteins and nuclear speckles during the lytic cycle of the Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV). We found that nuclear speckles became fewer and dramatically larger, localizing at the nuclear periphery, adjacent to the marginalized chromatin. Enlarged nuclear speckles contained splicing factors, whereas other proteins were nucleoplasmically dispersed. Polyadenylated RNA, typically found in nuclear speckles under regular conditions, was also found in foci separated from nuclear speckles in infected cells. Poly(A) foci did not contain lncRNAs known to colocalize with nuclear speckles but contained the poly(A)-binding protein PABPN1. Examination of the localization of spliced viral RNAs revealed that some spliced transcripts could be detected within the nuclear speckles. Since splicing is required for the maturation of certain KSHV transcripts, we suggest that the infected cell does not dismantle nuclear speckles but rearranges their components at the nuclear periphery to possibly serve in splicing and transport of viral RNAs into the cytoplasm.


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.


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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1267-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ria M Chapman ◽  
Caroline L Tinsley ◽  
Matthew J Hill ◽  
Marc P Forrest ◽  
Katherine E Tansey ◽  
...  

Abstract Genome-wide association studies have linked common variation in ZNF804A with an increased risk of schizophrenia. However, little is known about the biology of ZNF804A and its role in schizophrenia. Here, we investigate the function of ZNF804A using a variety of complementary molecular techniques. We show that ZNF804A is a nuclear protein that interacts with neuronal RNA splicing factors and RNA-binding proteins including RBFOX1, which is also associated with schizophrenia, CELF3/4, components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the ZNF804A paralog, GPATCH8. GPATCH8 also interacts with splicing factors and is localized to nuclear speckles indicative of a role in pre-messenger RNA (mRNA) processing. Sequence analysis showed that GPATCH8 contains ultraconserved, alternatively spliced poison exons that are also regulated by RBFOX proteins. ZNF804A knockdown in SH-SY5Y cells resulted in robust changes in gene expression and pre-mRNA splicing converging on pathways associated with nervous system development, synaptic contact, and cell adhesion. We observed enrichment (P = 1.66 × 10–9) for differentially spliced genes in ZNF804A-depleted cells among genes that contain RBFOX-dependent alternatively spliced exons. Differentially spliced genes in ZNF804A-depleted cells were also enriched for genes harboring de novo loss of function mutations in autism spectrum disorder (P = 6.25 × 10–7, enrichment 2.16) and common variant alleles associated with schizophrenia (P = .014), bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (P = .003), and autism spectrum disorder (P = .005). These data suggest that ZNF804A and its paralogs may interact with neuronal-splicing factors and RNA-binding proteins to regulate the expression of a subset of synaptic and neurodevelopmental genes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Guo ◽  
Eric B. Dammer ◽  
Maotian Zhou ◽  
Sean R. Kundinger ◽  
Marla Gearing ◽  
...  

Core spliceosome and related RNA-binding proteins aggregate in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain even in early asymptomatic stages (AsymAD) of disease. To assess the specificity of RNA-binding protein aggregation in AD, we developed a targeted mass spectrometry approach to quantify broad classes of RNA-binding proteins with other pathological proteins including tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) in detergent insoluble fractions from control, AsymAD, AD and Parkinson’s disease (PD) brain. Relative levels of specific insoluble RNA-binding proteins across different disease groups correlated with accumulation of Aβ and tau aggregates. RNA-binding proteins, including splicing factors with homology to the basic-acidic dipeptide repeats of U1-70K, preferentially aggregated in AsymAD and AD. In contrast, PD brain aggregates were relatively depleted of many RNA-binding proteins compared to AsymAD and AD groups. Correlation network analyses resolved 29 distinct modules of co-aggregating proteins including modules linked to spliceosome assembly, nuclear speckles and RNA splicing. Modules related to spliceosome assembly and nuclear speckles showed stage-specific enrichment of insoluble RBPs from AsymAD and AD brains, whereas the RNA splicing module was reduced specifically in PD. Collectively, this work identifies classes of RNA-binding proteins that distinctly co-aggregate in detergent-insoluble fractions across the specific neurodegenerative diseases we examined.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. e1009658
Author(s):  
Valentin Schneider-Lunitz ◽  
Jorge Ruiz-Orera ◽  
Norbert Hubner ◽  
Sebastiaan van Heesch

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) can regulate more than a single aspect of RNA metabolism. We searched for such previously undiscovered multifunctionality within a set of 143 RBPs, by defining the predictive value of RBP abundance for the transcription and translation levels of known RBP target genes across 80 human hearts. This led us to newly associate 27 RBPs with cardiac translational regulation in vivo. Of these, 21 impacted both RNA expression and translation, albeit for virtually independent sets of target genes. We highlight a subset of these, including G3BP1, PUM1, UCHL5, and DDX3X, where dual regulation is achieved through differential affinity for target length, by which separate biological processes are controlled. Like the RNA helicase DDX3X, the known splicing factors EFTUD2 and PRPF8—all identified as multifunctional RBPs by our analysis—selectively influence target translation rates depending on 5’ UTR structure. Our analyses identify dozens of RBPs as being multifunctional and pinpoint potential novel regulators of translation, postulating unanticipated complexity of protein-RNA interactions at consecutive stages of gene expression.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentin Schneider-Lunitz ◽  
Jorge Ruiz-Orera ◽  
Norbert Hubner ◽  
Sebastiaan van Heesch

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key regulators of RNA metabolism. Many RBPs possess uncharacterized RNA-binding domains and localize to multiple subcellular compartments, suggesting their involvement in multiple biological processes. We searched for such multifunctionality within a set of 143 RBPs by integrating experimentally validated target genes with the transcriptomes and translatomes of 80 human hearts. This revealed that RBP abundance is predictive of the extent of target regulation in vivo, leading us to newly associate 27 RBPs with translational control. Amongst those were several splicing factors, of which the muscle specific RBM20 modulated target translation rates through switches in isoform production. For 21 RBPs, we newly observed dual regulatory effects impacting both mRNA levels and translation rates, albeit for virtually independent sets of target genes. We highlight a subset, including G3BP1, PUM1, UCHL5, and DDX3X, where dual regulation is achieved by differential affinity for targets of distinct length and functionality. Strikingly, in a manner very similar to DDX3X, the known splicing factors EFTUD2 and PRPF8 selectively influence target translation rates depending on 5' UTR structure. Our results indicate unanticipated complexity of protein-RNA interactions at consecutive stages of gene expression and implicate multiple core splicing factors as key regulators of translational output.


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