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:Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an inherited neurodevelopmental (ND) disorder with frequent manifestations of epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) caused by mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 genes. TSC1 and TSC2 form a complex inhibiting mechanistic target of rapamycin complex-1 (mTORC1) signaling, leading to hyperactive mTORC1 signaling upon TSC1/2 loss of function. Although rapalogs, which are FDA-approved allosteric mTORC1-selective inhibitors, are used to treat TSC-associated hamartomas, they are not effective for treating ND manifestations. mTORC1 signaling controls protein synthesis by regulating formation of the eIF4F complex, whose activity is further modulated by the MNK1/2 kinases via phosphorylation of the eIF4F subunit eIF4E. While both these pathways modulate translation in transcript-selective fashion depending on features in target mRNAs’ 5’ untranslated regions (5’UTRs), their effect on transcriptome-wide patterns of mRNA translation has not been compared. Here, employing CRISPR-modified, isogenic TSC2 patient-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs), we examined how loss of TSC2 affects gene expression via changes in mRNA abundance and translation at a transcriptome-wide scale. This revealed abundant mRNA translation alterations in TSC2-Null NPCs overlapping with those we previously observed in TSC1-Null NPCs. Surprisingly, numerous non-monogenic ASD- and NDD-associated genes, identified in patients harboring putative loss-of-function mutations, were selectively translationally suppressed in TSC2-Null NPCs consistent with their distinct repertoire of 5’UTR features. Importantly, translation of these ASD- and NDD-associated genes was reversed upon inhibition of either mTORC1 or MNK1/2 signaling using RMC-6272 or eFT-508, respectively. This study thereby establishes mTORC1-eIF4F and MNK-eIF4E-sensitive mRNA translation as key components in TSC, ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders; and lay the groundwork for evaluating drugs in clinical development that target these pathways as a treatment strategy for TSC as well as ASD/NDD.
Project description:In this study, we characterize the fusion protein produced by the EPC1-PHF1 translocation in Low Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma (LG-ESS) and Ossifying FibroMyxoid Tumors (OFMT). We express the fusion protein and necessary controls in K562 Cells. The fusion protein assembles a mega-complex harboring both NuA4/TIP60 and PRC2 subunits and enzymatic activities and leads to mislocalization of chromatin marks in the genome, linked to aberrant gene expression.
Project description:Gene expression profiling of immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells with hTERT/E6/E7 transfected MSCs. hTERT may change gene expression in MSCs. Goal was to determine the gene expressions of immortalized MSCs.