Project description:RNA ligation can regulate RNA function by altering RNA sequence, structure and coding potential. For example, the function of XBP1 in mediating the unfolded protein response requires RNA ligation, as does the maturation of some tRNAs. Here, we describe a novel in vivo model in C. elegans for the conserved RNA ligase RtcB, and show that RtcB ligates the xbp 1 mRNA during the IRE 1 branch of the unfolded protein response. Without RtcB, protein stress results in the accumulation of unligated xbp-1 mRNA fragments, defects in the unfolded protein response, and decreased lifespan. RtcB also ligates endogenous pre tRNA halves, and RtcB mutants have defects in growth and lifespan that can be bypassed by expression of pre-spliced tRNAs. In addition, animals that lack RtcB have defects that are independent of tRNA maturation and the unfolded protein response. Thus, RNA ligation by RtcB is required for the function of multiple endogenous target RNAs including both xbp-1 and tRNAs. RtcB is uniquely capable of performing these ligation functions, and RNA ligation by RtcB mediates multiple essential processes in vivo. 4 paired-end RNA-seq reads. Control worms have pre-spliced tRNAs, RtcB-null have mutated RtcB, +/- tunicamycin treatment
Project description:RNA ligation can regulate RNA function by altering RNA sequence, structure and coding potential. For example, the function of XBP1 in mediating the unfolded protein response requires RNA ligation, as does the maturation of some tRNAs. Here, we describe a novel in vivo model in C. elegans for the conserved RNA ligase RtcB, and show that RtcB ligates the xbp 1 mRNA during the IRE 1 branch of the unfolded protein response. Without RtcB, protein stress results in the accumulation of unligated xbp-1 mRNA fragments, defects in the unfolded protein response, and decreased lifespan. RtcB also ligates endogenous pre tRNA halves, and RtcB mutants have defects in growth and lifespan that can be bypassed by expression of pre-spliced tRNAs. In addition, animals that lack RtcB have defects that are independent of tRNA maturation and the unfolded protein response. Thus, RNA ligation by RtcB is required for the function of multiple endogenous target RNAs including both xbp-1 and tRNAs. RtcB is uniquely capable of performing these ligation functions, and RNA ligation by RtcB mediates multiple essential processes in vivo.
Project description:Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress is a hallmark of various diseases, which is dealt with through the activation of an adaptive signaling pathway named the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). This response is mediated by three ER-resident sensors and the most evolutionary conserved, IRE1α signals through its cytosolic kinase and endoribonuclease (RNase) activities. IRE1α RNase activity can either catalyze the initial step of XBP1 mRNA unconventional splicing or degrade a number of RNAs through Regulated IRE1-Dependent Decay (RIDD). The balance between these two activities plays an instrumental role in cells’ life and death decisions upon ER stress. Until now, the biochemical and biological outputs of IRE1α RNase activity have been well documented, however, the precise mechanisms controlling whether IRE1 signaling is adaptive or pro-death (terminal) remain unclear. This prompted us to further investigate those mechanisms and we hypothesized that XBP1 mRNA splicing and RIDD activity could be co-regulated by the IRE1α RNase regulatory network. We showed that a key nexus in this pathway is the tRNA ligase RtcB which, together with IRE1α, is responsible for XBP1 mRNA splicing. We demonstrated that RtcB is tyrosine phosphorylated by c-Abl and dephosphorylated by PTP1B. Moreover, we identified RtcB Y306 as a key residue which, when phosphorylated, perturbs RtcB interaction with IRE1α, thereby attenuating XBP1 mRNA splicing and favoring RIDD. Our results demonstrate that the IRE1α RNase regulatory network is dynamically fine-tuned by tyrosine kinases and phosphatases upon various stresses and that the nature of the stress determines cell adaptive or death outputs.
Project description:Some features underlying replication origin activation in metazoan cells have been identified, but little is known about their regulation during metazoan development. Using the nascent strand purification method, we identified replication origins throughout Caenorhabditis elegans embryonic development and found that the origin repertoire is thoroughly reorganized after gastrulation onset. During the pluripotent embryonic stages (pre-gastrula), potential cruciform structures and open chromatin are determinant factors to establish replication origins. The enrichment of replication origins in transcription factor binding sites and their presence inside promoters of highly transcribed genes, particularly operons, argue that transcriptional activity contributes to replication initiation before gastrulation. After the gastrula transition, when differentiation programs are set in the embryos, origins are particularly selected at enhancers, in the vicinity of CGI-like sequences, and non-coding genes. Our findings suggest that origin selection coordinates replication initiation with transcriptional programs during metazoan development.
Project description:To identify small RNA cleaved by RNaseL, we captured intracellular RNA with 2'-3' cyclic phosphates by ligation an Illumina-compatible adaptor and the RNA ligase RtcB.
Project description:Through high-throuhgput RNA-sequencing, this study identifies mRNAs that are differentially expressed between plp-1(ok2155) and wild-type C. elegans. Analysed results are published in Development. 2020 Oct 13:dev.195578. doi: 10.1242/dev.195578. PMID: 33051256 Abstract of the publication: The germ line genome is guarded against invading foreign genetic elements by small RNA-dependent gene-silencing pathways. Components of these pathways localize to, or form distinct aggregates in the vicinity of, germ granules. These components and their dynamics in and out of granules are currently being intensively studied. Here, we report the identification of PLP-1, a C. elegans protein related to the human single-stranded nucleic acid-binding protein called Pur-alpha, as a component of germ granules in C. elegans We show that PLP-1 is essential for silencing different types of transgenes in the germ line, and for suppressing the expression of several endogenous genes controlled by the germline gene-silencing pathways. Our results reveal that PLP-1 functions downstream of small RNA biogenesis during initiation of gene silencing. Based on these results and the earlier findings that Pur-alpha proteins interact with both RNA and protein, we propose PLP-1 couples certain RNAs with their protein partners in the silencing complex. Its orthologs localized on RNA granules may similarly contribute to germline gene silencing in other organisms.