Project description:The aim of this study is to investigate how eIF2 phosphorylation affects mRNA translation in erythroblasts. Ribosome profiling combined with RNA sequencing was used to determine translation initiation sites and ribosome density on individual transcripts.
Project description:Disruption of protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum triggers the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), a transcriptional and translational control network designed to restore protein homeostasis. Central to the UPR is PERK phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 (eIF2~P), which represses global translation coincident with preferential translation of mRNAs, such as ATF4 and CHOP, that serve to implement the UPR transcriptional regulation. In this study, we used sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and a genome-wide microarray approach to measure changes in mRNA translation during ER stress. Our analysis suggests that translational efficiencies vary across a broad range during ER stress, with the majority of transcripts being either repressed or resistant to eIF2~P, while a notable cohort of key regulators are subject to preferential translation. From this latter group, we identify IBTKa as being subject to both translation and transcriptional induction during eIF2~P in both cell lines and a mouse model of ER stress. Translational regulation of IBTKalpha mRNA involves the stress-induced relief of two inhibitory uORFs in the 5'-leader of the transcript. Depletion of IBTKalpha by shRNA reduced viability of cultured cells coincident with increased caspase 3/7 cleavage, suggesting that IBTKalpha is a key regulator in determining cell fate during the UPR. We used a genome-wide microarray approach to determine how individual mRNAs were differentially translated during endoplasmic reticulum stress.
Project description:mRNA translation plays a major role in homeostasis, whereas its dysregulation underpins a variety of pathological states including cancer, metabolic syndrome and neurological disorders. Ternary complex (TC) and eIF4F complex assembly are two major rate-limiting steps in translation initiation that are thought to be regulated by eIF2α phosphorylation, and the mTOR/4E-BP pathway, respectively2. However, how TC and eIF4F assembly are coordinated remains largely unknown. Using polysome-profiling, we show that on a genome-wide scale mTOR suppresses translation of mRNAs, which are translationally activated under short-term ER stress when TC recycling is attenuated by eIF2α phosphorylation. During acute nutrient or growth factor stimulation, mTORC1 induces eIF2β phosphorylation, which increases recruitment of NCK1 to eIF2, decreases eIF2α phosphorylation and bolsters TC recycling. Accordingly, eIF2β appears to act as a previously unidentified mediator of mTORC1 on protein synthesis and proliferation. In addition, we demonstrate a formerly undocumented role for CK2 in regulation of translation initiation, whereby CK2 stimulates phosphorylation of eIF2β and simultaneously bolsters eIF4F complex assembly via the mTORC1/4E-BP pathway. These findings imply a previously unrecognized mode of translation regulation whereby mTORC1 and CK2 coordinate TC and eIF4F complex assembly to stimulate cell proliferation.
Project description:Disruption of protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum triggers the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), a transcriptional and translational control network designed to restore protein homeostasis. Central to the UPR is PERK phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eIF2 (eIF2~P), which represses global translation coincident with preferential translation of mRNAs, such as ATF4 and CHOP, that serve to implement the UPR transcriptional regulation. In this study, we used sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation and a genome-wide microarray approach to measure changes in mRNA translation during ER stress. Our analysis suggests that translational efficiencies vary across a broad range during ER stress, with the majority of transcripts being either repressed or resistant to eIF2~P, while a notable cohort of key regulators are subject to preferential translation. From this latter group, we identify IBTKa as being subject to both translation and transcriptional induction during eIF2~P in both cell lines and a mouse model of ER stress. Translational regulation of IBTKalpha mRNA involves the stress-induced relief of two inhibitory uORFs in the 5'-leader of the transcript. Depletion of IBTKalpha by shRNA reduced viability of cultured cells coincident with increased caspase 3/7 cleavage, suggesting that IBTKalpha is a key regulator in determining cell fate during the UPR. We used a genome-wide microarray approach to determine how individual mRNAs were differentially translated during endoplasmic reticulum stress. A microarray analysis from our laboratory identified gene transcripts suggested to be under translation control in mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells following a 6 hour treatment with thapsigargin, a potent inducer of ER stress, or no stress. The mRNAs were separated by sucrose gradient analyses to yield three fractions, those transcripts associated with large polysomes (?4 ribosomes per mRNA), those associated with monosome, disomes, or trisomes, and those fractionated at the top of the gradient with free ribosomes. RNA was extracted from sucrose gradients corresponding to these fractions and hybridized on Affymetrix microarrays. In parallel, we also measured total levels for each gene transcript in the presence or absence of thapsigargin treatment to address transcription regulation coincident with translational control. Please note that the treatment plus fractionation based on association with different numbers of ribosomes did yield different populations of mRNAs, which resulted in considerable variation in normalized data across the samples.
Project description:In times of cellular stress, such as during virus infections, the integrated stress response (ISR) blocks translation initiation through phosphorylation of the essential translation initiation factor eIF2. Phosphorylated eIF2 (p-eIF2) sequesters the eIF2-specific guanidine exchange factor (GEF) eIF2B, thereby preventing eIF2 recycling. Here we describe the first example of a viral ISR antagonist that inhibits the ISR at its most central step: the interplay between p-eIF2 and eIF2B. Using AP-MS, we determine that BW10 binds eIF2B. There, it selectively displaces eIF2B’s inhibitor p-eIF2 without affecting the association of its substrate eIF2. By this mechanism, BW10 renders cellular translation immune to regulation by eIF2 phosphorylation. Thus, under stress conditions BW10 creates the unprecedented situation of high levels of p-eIF2 coinciding with unimpaired translation.
Project description:PURPOSE: To provide a detailed gene expression profile of the normal postnatal mouse cornea. METHODS: Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was performed on postnatal day (PN)9 and adult mouse (6 week) total corneas. The expression of selected genes was analyzed by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: A total of 64,272 PN9 and 62,206 adult tags were sequenced. Mouse corneal transcriptomes are composed of at least 19,544 and 18,509 unique mRNAs, respectively. One third of the unique tags were expressed at both stages, whereas a third was identified exclusively in PN9 or adult corneas. Three hundred thirty-four PN9 and 339 adult tags were enriched more than fivefold over other published nonocular libraries. Abundant transcripts were associated with metabolic functions, redox activities, and barrier integrity. Three members of the Ly-6/uPAR family whose functions are unknown in the cornea constitute more than 1% of the total mRNA. Aquaporin 5, epithelial membrane protein and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) omega-1, and GST alpha-4 mRNAs were preferentially expressed in distinct corneal epithelial layers, providing new markers for stratification. More than 200 tags were differentially expressed, of which 25 mediate transcription. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to providing a detailed profile of expressed genes in the PN9 and mature mouse cornea, the present SAGE data demonstrate dynamic changes in gene expression after eye opening and provide new probes for exploring corneal epithelial cell stratification, development, and function and for exploring the intricate relationship between programmed and environmentally induced gene expression in the cornea. Keywords: other