Project description:Many microRNAs (miRNAs) exist alongside abundant miRNA isoforms (isomiRs), most of which arise from post-maturation sequence modifications, such as 3’ uridylation. However, the ways in which these sequence modifications affect miRNA function remain poorly understood. Here, using human miR-27a in cell lines as a model, we have discovered that a nonfunctional target site unable to base pair extensively with the miRNA seed sequence can regain function when an upstream adenosine is able to base-pair with a post-transcriptionally added uridine in the miR-27a tail. This Tail-U-Mediated Repression (TUMR) is abolished in cells lacking the uridylation enzymes TUT4 and TUT7, indicating that uridylation alters miRNA function by modulating target recognition. We identified a set of non-canonical targets in human cells that are specifically regulated by uridylated miR-27a. We provide evidence that TUMR expands the targets of other endogenous miRNAs. Our study reveals a function for uridylated isomiRs in regulating non-canonical miRNA targets.
Project description:Recent small RNA sequencing data has uncovered extensive modification of the 3’ end of mature microRNAs (miRNAs). This non-templated nucleotide addition can impact miRNA gene regulatory networks through the control of miRNA stability or by interfering with the repression of target mRNAs. The miRNA modifying enzymes responsible for this regulation remain largely uncharacterized. Here we describe the ability for two related terminal uridyl transferases (TUTases), Zcchc6 (TUT7) and Zcchc11 (TUT4), to 3’ mono-uridylate a specific subset of miRNAs involved in cell differentiation and Hox gene control. Zcchc6/11 selectively uridylate these miRNAs in vitro, and we biochemically define a bipartite sequence motif that is necessary and sufficient to confer Zcchc6/11 catalyzed uridylation. Depletion of these TUTases in cultured cells causes the selective loss of 3’ mono-uridylation of many of the same miRNAs. Interestingly, upon TUTase dependent loss of uridylation we observe a concomitant increase in non-templated 3’ mono-adenylation. Our results uncover the molecular basis for sequence specific miRNA mono-uridylation by Zcchc6/11, highlight the precise control of different 3’ miRNA modifications in cells, and have implications for miRNA regulation during development. small RNA profiles in TUTases knock-down and control HeLa cells were generated by Illumina deep sequencing
Project description:Recent small RNA sequencing data has uncovered extensive modification of the 3’ end of mature microRNAs (miRNAs). This non-templated nucleotide addition can impact miRNA gene regulatory networks through the control of miRNA stability or by interfering with the repression of target mRNAs. The miRNA modifying enzymes responsible for this regulation remain largely uncharacterized. Here we describe the ability for two related terminal uridyl transferases (TUTases), Zcchc6 (TUT7) and Zcchc11 (TUT4), to 3’ mono-uridylate a specific subset of miRNAs involved in cell differentiation and Hox gene control. Zcchc6/11 selectively uridylate these miRNAs in vitro, and we biochemically define a bipartite sequence motif that is necessary and sufficient to confer Zcchc6/11 catalyzed uridylation. Depletion of these TUTases in cultured cells causes the selective loss of 3’ mono-uridylation of many of the same miRNAs. Interestingly, upon TUTase dependent loss of uridylation we observe a concomitant increase in non-templated 3’ mono-adenylation. Our results uncover the molecular basis for sequence specific miRNA mono-uridylation by Zcchc6/11, highlight the precise control of different 3’ miRNA modifications in cells, and have implications for miRNA regulation during development.
Project description:A key step in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis is the processing of a primary precursor RNA by the microprocessor into a precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA) intermediate. In plants, little is known about the processes that act on pre-miRNAs to influence miRNA biogenesis. Here, we performed 3’ RACE-seq to profile pre-miRNA 3’ ends in Arabidopsis. 3’ end heterogeneity was prevalent and the three microprocessor components promoted 3’ end precision. Extensive cytidylation and uridylation of precise and imprecise pre-miRNA 3’ ends were uncovered. The nucleotidyl transferase HESO1 uridylated pre-miRNAs in vitro and was responsible for most pre-miRNA uridylation in vivo. HESO1, NTP6 and NTP7 contribute to pre-miRNA cytidylation. Tailing of pre-miRNAs tended to restore trimmed pre-miRNAs to intact lengths to promote further processing. In addition, HESO1-mediated uridylation led to the degradation of some imprecisely processed pre-miRNAs. Thus, we uncovered widespread cytidylation and uridylation of pre-miRNAs and demonstrated diverse functions of pre-miRNA tailing in plants.
Project description:miRNA levels depend on both biogenesis and turnover. The methyltransferase HEN1 stabilizes plant miRNAs, animal piRNAs, and siRNAs in both kingdoms via 3' terminal methylation. Loss of HEN1 in plants results in non-templated oligo-uridylation and accelerated degradation of miRNAs. In hen1 mutants from Arabidopsis and rice, we found that the patterns of miRNA truncation and uridylation differ substantially among miRNA families, but such patterns for the same miRNA are conserved between species. miR166 and miR163 are truncated predominantly to ~17 and ~16 nt, and subsequently recover via uridylation to approximately their original sizes, 21 and 24 nt, suggesting that in these cases miRNA truncation triggers uridylation. miR171 is untruncated but uridylated to 22 nt in hen1 mutants, gaining the ability to trigger production of phased, secondary siRNAs. Truncated and tailed variants were bound by ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) in hen1, implying that these events occur while miRNAs are still bound by AGO1. Unexpectedly, a portion of miR158 in wildtype remains unmethylated and thus subject to uridylation and destabilization, suggesting that plants naturally utilize miRNA methylation to modulate miRNA accumulation. Our results suggest that the AGO1-containing RISC complex may undergo programming to reflect each bound miRNA, determining a defined, distinct decay destiny.
Project description:Uridylation of diverse RNA species represents an emerging theme in post-transcriptional gene regulation. In the microRNA pathway, such modifications regulate small RNA biogenesis and stability in plants, worms and mammals. Here, we report the first uridylyltransferase that acts on small RNAs in Drosophila, which we refer to as Tailor. Tailor is the source for the majority of 3´ end-modifications in microRNAs and predominantly targets precursor-hairpins. Uridylation modulates the characteristic two-nucleotide 3´ overhangs of microRNA hairpins, which regulates processing by Dicer-1 and destabilizes RNA hairpins. Furthermore, Tailor preferentially uridylates mirtron-hairpins, thereby impeding the production of non-canonical microRNAs. Mirtron-selectivity is explained by unique primary sequence specificity of Tailor, selecting RNA substrates ending with a 3´ guanosine, a feature not previously observed for TUTases. In contrast to mirtrons, conserved Drosophila pre-miRNAs are significantly depleted in 3´ guanosine, thereby escaping regulatory uridylation. Our data support the hypothesis that evolutionary adaptation to pre-miRNA uridylation shapes the nucleotide composition of pre-miRNA 3´ ends. Hence, hairpin-uridylation may serve as a barrier for the de novo creation of miRNAs in Drosophila.
Project description:To analyse the impact of URT1-mediated uridylation on miRNA and siRNA tailing, we deep-sequenced small RNA libraries for WT and urt1 duplicate samples at the same developmental stage that was analyzed by TAIL-seq, i.e., two-week-old seedlings. Examination of miRNA and siRNA tailing in WT and urt1 samples.
Project description:miRNA levels depend on both biogenesis and turnover. The methyltransferase HEN1 stabilizes plant miRNAs, animal piRNAs, and siRNAs in both kingdoms via 3' terminal methylation. Loss of HEN1 in plants results in non-templated oligo-uridylation and accelerated degradation of miRNAs. In hen1 mutants from Arabidopsis and rice, we found that the patterns of miRNA truncation and uridylation differ substantially among miRNA families, but such patterns for the same miRNA are conserved between species. miR166 and miR163 are truncated predominantly to ~17 and ~16 nt, and subsequently recover via uridylation to approximately their original sizes, 21 and 24 nt, suggesting that in these cases miRNA truncation triggers uridylation. miR171 is untruncated but uridylated to 22 nt in hen1 mutants, gaining the ability to trigger production of phased, secondary siRNAs. Truncated and tailed variants were bound by ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) in hen1, implying that these events occur while miRNAs are still bound by AGO1. Unexpectedly, a portion of miR158 in wildtype remains unmethylated and thus subject to uridylation and destabilization, suggesting that plants naturally utilize miRNA methylation to modulate miRNA accumulation. Our results suggest that the AGO1-containing RISC complex may undergo programming to reflect each bound miRNA, determining a defined, distinct decay destiny. In this analysis, we sequenced sRNAs from two hen1 mutant alleles in Arabidopsis and three hen1 alleles in rice. In Arabidopsis, the strong hen1-1 allele in the Landsberg erecta (Ler) ecotype is the first hen1 mutant and emerged from an enhancer screen in the hua1-1/hua2-1 background, and hen1-8 in the Columbia (Col) background is a weak allele. In rice, WAVY LEAF1 (WAF1) is the ortholog of Arabidopsis HEN1, and two mutant alleles waf1-1 and waf1-2 each bear a single-base substitution leading to a premature stop codon in the second exon and a non-functional splicing site of the fourth intron, respectively. We identified a third mutant allele of the rice HEN1 gene (Oshen1-3 from the Korean (POSTEC) rice T-DNA mutant population).
Project description:Uridylation of diverse RNA species represents an emerging theme in post-transcriptional gene regulation. In the microRNA pathway, such modifications regulate small RNA biogenesis and stability in plants, worms and mammals. Here, we report the first uridylyltransferase that acts on small RNAs in Drosophila, which we refer to as Tailor. Tailor is the source for the majority of 3´ terminal uridine-modifications in small RNAs and predominantly targets precursor-miRNAs. Uridylation modulates the characteristic two-nucleotide 3´ overhangs of miRNA hairpins, which regulates pre-miRNA processing by Dicer-1. Furthermore, Tailor preferentially uridylates mirtron hairpins, thereby impeding the production of non-canonical microRNAs. Mirtron-selectivity is explained by unique primary sequence specificity of Tailor, selecting RNA substrates ending with a 3´ guanosine, a feature not previously observed for terminal uridylyltransferases. In contrast to mirtrons, conserved Drosophila pre-miRNAs are significantly depleted in 3´ guanosine, thereby escaping regulatory uridylation.Our data support the hypothesis that evolutionary adaptation to pre-miRNA uridylation shapes the nucleotide composition of pre-miRNA 3´ ends and may serve as a barrier for the de novo creation of miRNAs in Drosophila.