Dataset Information

Ribosome profiling of selenoproteins in vivo reveals consequences of pathogenic Secisbp2 missense mutations

ABSTRACT: Re-coding of UGA codons as selenocysteine (Sec) codons in selenoproteins depends on a selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) in the 3’ UTR of mRNAs of eukaryotic selenoproteins. SECIS-binding protein 2 (SECISBP2) increases the efficiency of this process. Pathogenic mutations in SECISBP2 reduce selenoprotein expression and lead to phenotypes associated with the reduction of deiodinase activities and selenoprotein N expression in humans. Two functions have been ascribed to SECISBP2: binding of SECIS elements in selenoprotein mRNAs and facilitation of co-translational Sec insertion. To separately probe both functions, we established here two mouse models carrying two pathogenic missense mutations in Secisbp2 previously identified in patients. We found that the C696R substitution in the RNAbinding domain abrogates SECIS binding and does not support selenoprotein translation above the level of a complete Secisbp2 null mutation. The R543Q missense substitution located in the selenocysteine insertion domain resulted in residual activity and caused reduced selenoprotein translation, as demonstrated by ribosomal profiling to determine the impact on UGA re-coding in individual selenoproteins. We found, however, that the R543Q variant is thermally unstable in vitro and completely degraded in the mouse liver in vivo, while being partially functional in the brain. The moderate impairment of selenoprotein expression in neurons led to astrogliosis and transcriptional induction of genes associated with immune responses. We conclude that differential SECISBP2 protein stability in individual cell types may dictate clinical phenotypes to a much greater extent than molecular interactions involving a mutated amino acid in SECISBP2 .

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE119681 | GEO | 2019/07/26

REPOSITORIES: GEO

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Selenoproteins are a small family of proteins containing the trace element selenium in form of the rare amino acid selenocysteine (Sec), which is decoded by the UGA codon. In humans, a number of pathogenic mutations in genes encoding distinct selenoproteins or selenoprotein biosynthesis factors have been identified. Pathogenic mutations in selenocysteine synthase (SEPSECS), which catalyzes the last step in Sec-tRNA[Ser]Sec biosynthesis, were reported in children suffering from progressive cerebello-cerebral atrophy. To understand the underlying mechanisms of SEPSECS mutations, we generated a novel mouse model recapitulating the respective human pathogenic Y334C mutation in the murine Sepsecs gene (SepsecsY334C). Unlike in patients, homozygous mutant pups died perinatally with signs of cardio-respiratory failure. Perinatal death is reminiscent of the Sedaghatian spondylometaphyseal dysplasia disorder in humans, which is caused by inactivating mutations of the gene encoding the selenoprotein and key ferroptosis regulator glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Protein expression levels of distinct selenoproteins in SepsecsY334C/Y334C mice were found to be generally reduced in brain and isolated cortical neurons, while transcriptomics analysis uncovered an upregulation of NRF2-regulated genes. Crossbreeding of SepsecsY334C/Y334C mice with mice harboring a targeted mutation of the catalytically active site Sec to Cys in GPX4 surprisingly rescued perinatal death of SepsecsY334C/Y334C mice, showing that the cardio-respiratory defects of Sepsecs-mutant mice were caused by the lack of GPX4. Like in SepsecsY334C/Y334C mice, selenoprotein expression levels remained low and NRF2-regulated genes remained highly expressed in these compound mutant mice, indicating that selenium-independent GPX4, along with a sustained antioxidant response are sufficient to compensate for dysfunctional Sec-tRNA[Ser]Sec biosynthesis. Our findings imply that children with mutations in SEPSECS or GPX4 may benefit from treatments partially compensating for impaired GPX4 activity.

Dataset Information

Ribosome profiling of selenoproteins in vivo reveals consequences of pathogenic Secisbp2 missense mutations

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure