Project description:The cGAS-STING pathway, a central component of the innate immune system, senses cytosolic DNA and induces interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) to mediate inflammation. Here we report the unexpected discovery that cGAS senses dysfunctional translation. Purified ribosomes interact with and stimulate recombinant cGAS catalytic activity in vitro. Disruption of the ribosome-associated protein quality control pathway, which detects and resolves ribosome collisions, results in cGAS- and STING-dependent ISG expression, and cause the re-localization of cGAS from the nucleus to the cytosol. Other orthogonal perturbations that lead to elevated levels of collided ribosomes cause re-localization of cGAS as well. Thus, the cGAS-STING pathway senses and responds to translation stress. These findings have implications for the inflammatory responses to viral infection and tumorigenesis, both of which substantially reprogram cellular protein synthesis.
Project description:The cGAS-STING pathway, a central component of the innate immune system, senses cytosolic DNA and induces interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) to mediate inflammation. Here we report the unexpected discovery that cGAS senses dysfunctional protein production. Purified ribosomes interact with and stimulate the catalytic activity of recombinant cGAS in vitro. Disruption of the ribosome-associated protein quality control pathway, which detects and resolves ribosome collisions, results in cGAS- and STING-dependent ISG expression, and causes the re-localization of cGAS from the nucleus to the cytosol. Indeed, cGAS preferentially binds collided ribosomes in vitro, and other orthogonal perturbations that lead to elevated levels of collided ribosomes cause re-localization of cGAS as well. Thus, the cGAS-STING pathway senses and responds to translation stress. These findings have implications for the inflammatory responses to viral infection and tumorigenesis, both of which substantially reprogram cellular protein synthesis.
Project description:Terminal oligopyrimidine motif-containing (TOP) mRNAs encode all ribosomal proteins in mammals and are regulated to tune ribosome synthesis to cell state. Previous studies implicate LARP1 in 40S- or 80S-ribosome complexes that repress and stabilize TOP mRNAs. However, a mechanistic understanding of how LARP1 and TOP mRNAs interact with ribosomes to coordinate TOP mRNA outcomes is lacking. Here, we show that LARP1 senses the cellular supply of ribosomes by directly binding non-translating 80S ribosomes. Cryo-EM structures reveal a previously uncharacterized domain of LARP1 bound to and occluding the 40S mRNA channel and mutations at the LARP1-ribosome interface block formation of the 40S/80S-LARP1-TOP complexes. Free cytosolic ribosomes induce sequestration of TOP mRNAs in repressed 80S-LARP1-TOP complexes independent of alterations in mTOR signaling. Together, this work demonstrates a ribosome-sensing function of LARP1 that allows it to tune ribosome protein synthesis to the availability of free ribosomes.
Project description:Translation is initiated by binding of the eIF4F complex to the 5' cap of the mRNA, which is followed by scanning of the initiation codon by scanning ribosomes. Here we demonstrate that the ASC-1 complex (ASCC), which was previously shown to promote the dissociation of colliding 80S ribosomes, associates with the scanning ribosomes to regulate translation initiation. Sel-TCP-seq analysis revealed that ASCC3, a subunit of ASCC with a helicase domain, localizes predominantly to the 5' untranslated region of mRNAs. Knockdown of ASCC3 resulted in reduced translation efficiency associated with reduced 43S preinitiation complex (PIC) loading and a reduced speed of scanning ribosomes. In addition, depletion of the ubiquitin ligase ZNF598, a sensor of collided 80S ribosomes, also reduces the PIC loading and speed of scanning ribosomes. Our results have thus revealed that ASCC is required not only for dissociation of colliding 80S ribosomes, but also for efficient translation initiation by scanning ribosomes.
Project description:Although several ribosomal protein (RP) paralogs are expressed in a tissue-specific manner, how these proteins affect translation and why they are required only in certain tissues have remained unclear. Here we show that RPL3L, a paralog of RPL3 specifically expressed in heart and skeletal muscle, influences translation elongation dynamics. Deficiency of RPL3L-containing ribosomes (RPL3L-ribosomes) in RPL3L knockout male mice resulted in impaired cardiac contractility. Ribosome occupancy at mRNA codons was found to be altered in the RPL3L-deficient heart, and the changes were negatively correlated with those observed in myoblasts overexpressing RPL3L. RPL3L-ribosomes were less prone to collisions compared with RPL3-containing canonical ribosomes. Although the loss of RPL3L-ribosomes altered translation elongation dynamics for the entire transcriptome, its effects were most pronounced for transcripts related to cardiac muscle contraction and dilated cardiomyopathy, with the abundance of the encoded proteins being correspondingly decreased. Our results provide new insight into the mechanisms and physiological relevance of tissue-specific translational regulation.
Project description:Purpose: We use the ribosome profiling protocol to understand EF4 mediated translation events. Methods: We used ribosome profiling data to analyze by plastid software. The ribosome were purified by sucrose gradient separation. Results: Using sequencing data, we found that EF4 mediates the 1-nucleotide conformational change of ribosomes. We also found that many genes involved in translation after tetracycline treatment. Finally, we found that EF4 stalls the elongating ribosomes globally. Conclusions: Our results suggest that EF4 mediates both 30S biogenesis and translation elongation process, in particular, EF4 stalls the elongating ribosomes globally.
Project description:eIF3 is a multi-subunit complex thought to execute numerous functions in canonical translation initiation, including mRNA recruitment to the 40S ribosome, scanning for the start codon, and inhibition of 60S subunit joining 1–3. eIF3 was also found to interact with 40S and 60S ribosomal proteins and translation elongation factors 4, but a direct involvement in translation elongation has never been demonstrated. Using selective ribosome profiling, we made the unexpected observation that eIF3 remains bound to post-initiation 80S ribosomes, followed by release after translation of ~50 codons. Furthermore, eIF3 deficiency reduces early ribosomal elongation speed, particularly on mRNAs encoding proteins associated with membrane-associated functions, resulting in defective synthesis of their encoded proteins and abnormal mitochondrial and lysosomal physiology. Accordingly, heterozygous eIF3e+/- knockout mice accumulate giant mitochondria in skeletal muscle and show a progressive decline in muscle strength with age. Hence, in addition to its canonical role in translation initiation, eIF3 interacts with 80S ribosomes to enhance, at the level of early elongation, the synthesis of proteins with membrane-associated functions, an activity that is critical for normal muscle health.
Project description:Using quantitative profiling of initiating ribosomes, we found that ribosomal pausing at the start codon serves as a “brake” to restrain the translational output. In response to oncogenic RAS signaling, the initiation pausing relaxes and contributes to the increased translational flux. Intriguingly, mRNA m6A modification in the vicinity of start codons influences the behavior of initiating ribosomes. Under oncogenic RAS signaling, the reduced mRNA methylation leads to relaxed initiation pausing, thereby promoting malignant transformation and tumor growth. Restored initiation pausing by inhibiting m6A demethylases suppresses RAS-mediated oncogenic translation and subsequent tumorigenesis. Our findings unveil a new paradigm of translational control that is co-opted by RAS mutant cancer cells to drive malignant phenotypes.