Project description:During the co-translational assembly of protein complexes, a fully synthesized subunit engages with the nascent chain of a newly synthesized interaction partner. Such events are thought to contribute to productive assembly, but their exact physiological relevance remains underexplored. Here, we examined structural motifs contained in nucleoporins for their potential to facilitate co-translational assembly. We experimentally tested candidate structural motifs and identified several previously unknown co-translational interactions. We demonstrate by selective ribosome profiling that domain invasion motifs of beta-propellers, coiled-coils, and short linear motifs act as co-translational assembly domains. Such motifs are often contained in proteins that are members of multiple complexes (moonlighters) and engage with closely related paralogs. Surprisingly, moonlighters and paralogs assembled co-translationally in only one but not all of the relevant assembly pathways. Our results highlight the regulatory complexity of assembly pathways. During the co-translational assembly of protein complexes, a fully synthesized subunit engages with the nascent chain of a newly synthesized interaction partner. Such events are thought to contribute to productive assembly, but their exact physiological relevance remains underexplored. Here, we examined structural motifs contained in nucleoporins for their potential to facilitate co-translational assembly. We experimentally tested candidate structural motifs and identified several previously unknown co-translational interactions. We demonstrate by selective ribosome profiling that domain invasion motifs of beta-propellers, coiled-coils, and short linear motifs act as co-translational assembly domains. Such motifs are often contained in proteins that are members of multiple complexes (moonlighters) and engage with closely related paralogs. Surprisingly, moonlighters and paralogs assembled co-translationally in only one but not all of the relevant assembly pathways. Our results highlight the regulatory complexity of assembly pathways.
Project description:During the co-translational assembly of protein complexes, a fully synthesized subunit engages with the nascent chain of a newly synthesized interaction partner. Such events are thought to contribute to productive assembly, but their exact physiological relevance remains underexplored. Here, we examined structural motifs contained in nucleoporins for their potential to facilitate co-translational assembly. We experimentally tested candidate structural motifs and identified several previously unknown co-translational interactions. We demonstrate by selective ribosome profiling that domain invasion motifs of beta-propellers, coiled-coils, and short linear motifs act as co-translational assembly domains. Such motifs are often contained in proteins that are members of multiple complexes (moonlighters) and engage with closely related paralogs. Surprisingly, moonlighters and paralogs assembled co-translationally in only one but not all of the relevant assembly pathways. Our results highlight the regulatory complexity of assembly pathways. During the co-translational assembly of protein complexes, a fully synthesized subunit engages with the nascent chain of a newly synthesized interaction partner. Such events are thought to contribute to productive assembly, but their exact physiological relevance remains underexplored. Here, we examined structural motifs contained in nucleoporins for their potential to facilitate co-translational assembly. We experimentally tested candidate structural motifs and identified several previously unknown co-translational interactions. We demonstrate by selective ribosome profiling that domain invasion motifs of beta-propellers, coiled-coils, and short linear motifs act as co-translational assembly domains. Such motifs are often contained in proteins that are members of multiple complexes (moonlighters) and engage with closely related paralogs. Surprisingly, moonlighters and paralogs assembled co-translationally in only one but not all of the relevant assembly pathways. Our results highlight the regulatory complexity of assembly pathways.
Project description:Translational control targeting mainly the initiation phase is central to the regulation of gene expression. Understanding all of its aspects requires substantial technological advancements. Here we modified yeast Translational Complex Profile sequencing (TCP-seq), related to ribosome profiling, and adopted it for mammalian cells. Human TCP-seq, capable of capturing footprints of 40S subunits (40Ses) in addition to 80S ribosomes (80Ses), revealed that mammalian and yeast 40Ses distribute similarly across 5’UTRs indicating considerable evolutionary conservation. We further developed a variation called Selective TCP-seq (Sel-TCP-seq) enabling selection for 40Ses and 80Ses associated with an immuno-targeted factor in yeast and human. Sel- TCP-seq demonstrated that eIF2 and eIF3 travel along 5’UTRs with scanning 40Ses to successively dissociate upon start codon recognition. Manifesting the Sel-TCP-seq versatility for gene expression studies, we also identified four initiating 48S conformational intermediates, provided novel insights into ATF4 and GCN4 mRNA translational control, and demonstrated co-translational assembly of initiation factor complexes.
Project description:Translational control targeting mainly the initiation phase is central to the regulation of gene expression. Understanding all of its aspects requires substantial technological advancements. Here we modified yeast Translational Complex Profile sequencing (TCP-seq), related to ribosome profiling, and adopted it for mammalian cells. Human TCP-seq, capable of capturing footprints of 40S subunits (40Ses) in addition to 80S ribosomes (80Ses), revealed that mammalian and yeast 40Ses distribute similarly across 5’UTRs indicating considerable evolutionary conservation. We further developed a variation called Selective TCP-seq (Sel-TCP-seq) enabling selection for 40Ses and 80Ses associated with an immuno-targeted factor in yeast and human. Sel- TCP-seq demonstrated that eIF2 and eIF3 travel along 5’UTRs with scanning 40Ses to successively dissociate upon start codon recognition. Manifesting the Sel-TCP-seq versatility for gene expression studies, we also identified four initiating 48S conformational intermediates, provided novel insights into ATF4 and GCN4 mRNA translational control, and demonstrated co-translational assembly of initiation factor complexes.
Project description:The rates at which domains fold and codons are translated are important factors in determining whether a nascent protein will co-translationally fold and function or misfold and malfunction. In this study, we develop a chemical kinetic model that calculates a protein domain’s co-translational folding curve using only the domain’s bulk folding and unfolding rates and codon translation rates. We show that this model accurately predicts the course of co-translational folding measured in vivo for four different protein molecules. As part of our chemical kinetic model, we assume that there is steady-state translation kinetics through the time-course of the experiment. To prove that this assumption is valid, we performed Ribo-Seq experiments on two biological replicates of yeast cells to compare their ribosome profiles. For genes with sufficient coverage across the open reading frames in both the replicates, we compare the ribosome profiles from both replicates and see a strong correlation. This implies there is a steady-state and our assumption is valid.
Project description:One key concept in the evolution of new functions is the ability of enzymes to perform promiscuous side-reactions that serve as a source of novelty that may become beneficial under certain conditions. Here, we identify a mechanism where a bacteriophage-encoded enzyme introduces novelty by inducing expression of a promiscuous bacterial enzyme. By screening for bacteriophage DNA that rescued an auxotrophic E. coli mutant carrying a deletion of the ilvA gene, we show that bacteriophage-encoded S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) hydrolases reduce SAM levels. Via this perturbation of bacterial metabolism, expression of the promiscuous bacterial enzyme MetB is increased, which in turn complements the absence of IlvA. These results demonstrate how foreign DNA can increase the metabolic capacity of bacteria, not only by transfer of bona fide new genes, but also by bringing cryptic bacterial functions to light via perturbations of cellular physiology.