Project description:C5 methylation of cytosine is a relatively abundant post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotes, and the NSUN family has been identified as an important executor of m5C modification. Currently, little is known about this family in Plasmodium spp. Therefore, we constructed a pfnsun3 gene knockdown strain and the knockdown efficiency was confirmed through growth curves and western blot experiments. The target genes of PfNSUN3 was obtained by RNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput transcriptome sequencing experiments. Our data reveal that pfnsun3 is an indispensable post-transcriptional RNA modification in regulating variant gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum.
Project description:C5 methylation of cytosine is a relatively abundant post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotes, and the NSUN family has been identified as an important executor of m5C modification. Currently, little is known about this family in Plasmodium spp. Therefore, we constructed a pfnsun3 gene knockdown strain and the knockdown efficiency was confirmed through growth curves and western blot experiments. The target genes of PfNSUN3 was obtained by RNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput transcriptome sequencing experiments. Our data reveal that pfnsun3 is an indispensable post-transcriptional RNA modification in regulating variant gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum.
Project description:RNA m5C methylation profile of MCF10A and MDA486 by using MeRIP-Seq protocol Immunoprecipitation of Methylated mRNA at Cytosine (m5C) residues: Affinity purified of anti-methyl cytosine (m5C) polyclonal antibody 7ug (Zymo Research, Catalog#A3001-50) was conjugated with protein-A magnetic beads for 2 h at 4°C in end to end rotator. After that, conjugated beads were extensively washed with RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) wash buffer to remove unbound antibody. Fragmented 25 ug polyA RNA (mRNA) was incubated with m5C conjugated beads for overnight at 4°C in in the rotating platform in RIP buffer. RIP was done using Megna RNA Immunoprecipitation kit (Millipore, Catalog#17-700). m5C mRNA-immune bead complex was treated with proteinase K buffer to release m5C mRNA from the conjugated antibody. To isolate m5C, mRNA was treated with phenol:chloroform:isoamyl and mixed with 400 ul of chloroform, which was centrifuged at 14000 rpm for 10 minutes to separate aqueous phase. The aqueous phase was ethanol precipitated at -80°C for overnight, to get m5C mRNA. This precipitated m5C mRNA pellet was washed twice with 70% ethanol and air dried. Finally, m5C mRNA pellet was dissolved in nuclease free Water. The m5C mRNA integrity and conentration was quantified by bioanalyzer (Agilent) and Qubit 2.0 flurometer (Invitrogen). The fragmented mRNA was used by following TruSeq RNA Sample Preparation Guide to develop RNA-Seq library for sequencing.
Project description:Methylation of carbon 5 in cytosine (5-methylcytosine; m5C) is a well-characterized DNA modification, and is also predominantly reported in highly abundant noncoding RNAs, such as rRNA and tRNA, in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, the distribution and biological functions of m5C in plant mRNAs remain largely unknown. Here we develop an m5C RNA immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing approach (m5C-RIP-seq) to achieve transcriptome-wide profiling of RNA m5C in Arabidopsis thaliana. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and dot blot analyses reveal a dynamic pattern of m5C mRNA modification in various tissues and at different developmental stages. m5C-RIP-seq analysis identifies 6,045 putative m5C peaks in 4,465 expressed genes in young seedlings. m5C is enriched in coding sequences with two peaks located immediately after start codons and before stop codons, and is associated with mRNAs with low translation activity. We further show that a RNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase, tRNA specific methyltransferase 4B (TRM4B), exhibits the m5C mRNA methyltransferase activity. Mutations in TRM4B display defects in root development and decreased m5C levels in root mRNA. Furthermore, TRM4B affects transcript levels of the genes involved in root development, which is positively correlated with their mRNA stability and m5C levels. Our results suggest that m5C in mRNA is a new epitranscriptome marker widely distributed in plant genes, and that regulation of this modification is an integral part of gene regulatory networks underlying plant development.
Project description:The modification and recognition of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) are involved in the initiation and progression of various tumor types. However, the precise role and potential mechanism of Y-box-binding protein 1 (YBX1) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. Here, we found that YBX1 was frequently upregulated in ESCC compared with matched nontumor tissues. Gain- and loss-of-function assays showed that YBX1 promoted the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Functional studies revealed that NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase family member 2 (NSUN2) is a critical RNA methyltransferase that facilitates YBX1-mediated ESCC progression. Mechanistically, integrated analysis based on RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and m5C methylated RNA immunoprecipitation and sequencing (MeRIP-seq) assays identified spermine oxidase (SMOX) as a target gene containing an m5C site in its coding sequence (CDS) region, which coincided well with the binding site of YBX1. Overexpression of SMOX-WT but not SMOX-Mut partially restored the proliferation and invasion ability of ESCC cells curbed by YBX1 knockdown. Moreover, YBX1 activated the mTORC1 signaling pathway by stabilizing SMOX mRNA. Our study revealed that YBX1 promotes ESCC development by stabilizing SMOX mRNA in an m5C-dependent manner, thus providing a valuable therapeutic target for ESCC.
Project description:5-methylcytosine, an abundant RNA modification, plays a crucial role in regulating RNA fate and gene expression. While recent progress has been made in understanding the biological roles of m5C, the inability to introduce m5C at specific sites within transcripts has hindered efforts to elucidate direct links between specific m5C and phenotypic outcomes. Here we developed a CRISPR-Cas13d-based tool, named reengineered m5C modification systems (termed ‘RCMS’), for targeted m5C methylation and demethylation in specific transcripts. The RCMS editors consist of a nuclear-localised dCasRx conjugated to either to a methyltransferase, NSUN2/NSUN6 or a demethylase, the catalytic domain of mouse Tet2 (Tet2 CD), enabling the manipulation of methylation events at precise m5C sites. We demonstrate that the RCMS editors can direct site-specific m5C incorporation and demethylation. Furthermore, we confirm their effectiveness in modulating m5C levels within tRNAs and their ability to induce changes in transcript abundance and cell proliferation through m5C-mediated mechanisms. These findings collectively establish RCMS editors as a focused epitranscriptome engineering tool, facilitating the identification of individual m5C alterations and their consequential effects.
Project description:NSUN2 (NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2), a 5-methylcytosine (m5C) RNA methyltransferase is highly expressed and plays a proto-oncoprotein role in various cancers. However, the role of NSUN2 in T-ALL remains unknown, we aim to investigate the role of NSUN2 in T-ALL and delineate its underlying mechanism. Then RNA-Seq data were generated with NSUN2-silenced and control (scrambled) Jurkat cells from 3 independent RNA extracts. The differentially expressed transcripts comparing NSUN2-silenced cells with control cells are displayed.
Project description:We performed a transcriptome analysis of two Helicobacter pylori wild-type strains and their corresponding mutants lacking a highly conserved GCGC-specific m5C-MTase (JHP1050) that was predicted to be active in all of 459 H. pylori genome sequences analyzed. Transcriptome data revealed that m5C-methylation modifies the transcription of multiple genes related to adherence to host cells, natural competence for DNA uptake or susceptibility to copper.