Project description:Translational control is a key determinant of protein abundance, which in turns defines the physiology and pathology of human cells. Initiation of translation is highly regulated in eukaryotes and is considered as the rate-limiting step of protein synthesis. mRNA secondary structures in 5’ untranslated region (UTR) and associated helicases have been characterised as key determinants of translation initiation. Nevertheless the transcriptome-wide contribution of non-canonical secondary structures, such as RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s), to the translation of human mRNAs remains largely unappreciated. Here we use a ribosome profiling strategy to investigate the translational landscape associated to rG4s-containing mRNAs and the contribution of two rG4s-specialised DExH-box helicases, DHX9 and DHX36, to translation initiation in human cells. We show that rG4-forming sequences in 5’-UTR is associated with decreased translation efficiency which correlate with an increased ribosome density within the 5’-UTRs. We found that rG4s contribute to the translation of upstream open reading frames, and as a consequence, thwart the translation of the associated protein coding sequences (CDS). Depletion of the DHX36 and DHX9 helicases demonstrated that the formation of the rG4 structural motif rather than its nucleotide sequence mediate translation initiation. Our findings unveil a role for non-canonical structures in defining alternative 5’ starts for human mRNAs translation initiation.
Project description:Upstream open reading frames (uORFs) initiate translation within mRNA 5’ leaders,and have the potential to altermain coding sequence(CDS) translationontranscripts in which they reside. Ribosome profiling(RP)studies suggest that translating ribosomes are pervasive within 5’ leadersacross model systems. However, the significance of this observationremains unclear. To explore a role for uORF usage in neuronal differentiation, we performed RP on undifferentiated and differentiated human neuroblastoma cells. Using a spectral coherence algorithm (SPECtre),we identify4,954uORFsacross31%of all neuroblastoma transcripts. These uORFspredominantly utilize non-AUG initiationcodonsand exhibit translational efficiencies(TE)comparable to annotated coding regions. Usage of both AUG initiated uORFs and aconservedandconsistently translated subset of non-AUG initiated uORFs correlateswith repressed CDS translation. Ribosomal protein transcripts are enriched in uORFs, and select uORFs on such transcripts were validated for expression. Withneuronal differentiation, we observedan overall positive correlation between translational shifts in uORF/CDSpairs. However,a subset of transcripts exhibit inverse shifts in translation of uORF/CDSpairs. TheseuORFsare enriched in AUG initiation sites, non-overlapping, and shorterin length. Cumulatively, CDSs downstream of uORFs characterized by persistent translation show smaller shifts in TE withneuronal differentiation relative to CDSs without a predicted uORF, suggesting that fluctuations in CDS translation are buffered by uORF translation. In sum, this work provides insights into the dynamic relationshipsand potential regulatory functionsof uORF/CDS pairs in a model of neuronal differentiation.
Project description:The 5' untranslated region (UTR) sequence of eukaryotic mRNAs may contain upstream open reading frames (uORFs), which can regulate translation of the main open reading frame (mORF). The current model of translational regulation by uORFs posits that when a ribosome scans an mRNA and encounters a uORF, translation of that uORF can prevent ribosomes from reaching the mORF and cause decreased mORF translation. In this study, we first observed that rare variants in the 5' UTR dysregulate protein abundance. Upon further investigation, we found that rare variants near the start codon of uORFs can repress or derepress mORF translation, causing allelic changes in protein abundance. This finding holds for common variants as well, and common variants that modify uORF start codons also contribute disproportionately to metabolic and whole-plant phenotypes, suggesting that translational regulation by uORFs serves an adaptive function. These results provide evidence for the mechanisms by which natural sequence variation modulates gene expression, and ultimately, phenotype.
Project description:Ribosome profiling has revealed pervasive but largely uncharacterized translation outside of canonical coding sequences (CDSs). Here, we exploit a systematic CRISPR-based screening strategy to identify hundreds of non-canonical CDSs that are essential for cellular growth and whose disruption elicit specific, robust transcriptomic and phenotypic changes in human cells. Functional characterization of the encoded microproteins reveals distinct cellular localizations, specific protein binding partners, and hundreds that are presented by the HLA system. Interestingly, we find multiple microproteins encoded in upstream open reading frames, which form stable complexes with the main, canonical protein encoded on the same mRNA, thus revealing the diverse use of functional bicistronic operons in mammals. Together, our results point to a family of functional human microproteins that play critical and diverse cellular roles.
Project description:The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome encodes several hundred transcripts. Using total RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling, we have characterized the transcriptional and translational scope of B cells infected with EBV. We could show that viral transcripts are translated at variable efficiency and that several viral genes show ribosome recruitment to the 5’ leader region of mRNAs. We used two different virus strains with differing in vitro characteristics to study EBV translation and could show that in cells infected with the weakly replicating EBV strain some lytic genes showed evidence of monosomal ribosome recruitment mainly in the 5’ leader region and on start codons in the absence of protein production. Finally, we could identify 25 novel upstream open reading frames that potentially regulate the translation efficiency of some viral genes.
Project description:Upstream open reading frames (uORFs) represent translational control elements within eukaryotic transcript leader sequences. Recent data showed that uORFs can encode for biologically active proteins and human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-presented peptides and suggest their potential role in cancer cell development and survival. However, it is so far unclear if uORF-encoded peptides could serve as tumor-associated antigen targets and thus also play a role in cancer immune surveillance. Combining mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidome analysis in primary tumor and healthy tissues and evaluation of proto-oncogene-associated uORF-mediated translational control we here identified a panel of HLA-presented tumor-associated uORF-derived antigens. These uORF-derived tumor antigens were further shown to induce multifunctional antigen-specific T cells, validating their suitability as antigen targets for T cell-based cancer immunotherapy. Our data further unravel the role of uORF-encoded peptides in malignant disease, suggesting uORF-derived tumor-associated antigens as targets for anti-cancer immune surveillance and immunotherapy development.
Project description:We present a genome-wide assessment of small open reading frames (smORF) translation by ribosomal profiling of polysomal fractions in Drosophila S2 cell. In this way, mRNAs bound by multiple ribosomes and hence actively translated can be isolated and distinguished from mRNAs bound by sporadic, putatively non-productive single ribosomes or ribosomal subunits. Ribosomal profiling of large and small polysomal fractions in Drosophila S2 cells to assess translation of smORFs