Tetracycline aptamer-controlled regulation of pre-mRNA splicing in yeast

Splicing of pre-mRNA is a critical step in mRNA maturation and disturbances cause several genetic disorders. We apply the synthetic tetracycline (tc)-binding riboswitch to establish a gene expression system for conditional tc-dependent control of pre-mRNA splicing in yeast. Efficient regulation is obtained when the aptamer is inserted close to the 5′splice site (SS) with the consensus sequence of the SS located within the aptamer stem. Structural probing indicates limited spontaneous cleavage within this stem in the absence of the ligand. Addition of tc leads to tightening of the stem and the whole aptamer structure which probably prevents recognition of the 5′SS. Combination of more then one aptamer-regulated intron increases the extent of regulation leading to highly efficient conditional gene expression systems. Our findings highlight the potential of direct RNA–ligand interaction for regulation of gene expression

Modulation of microRNA processing by 5‐lipoxygenase

The miRNA biogenesis is tightly regulated to avoid dysfunction and consequent disease development. Here, we describe modulation of miRNA processing as a novel noncanonical function of the 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) enzyme in monocytic cells. In differentiated Mono Mac 6 (MM6) cells, we found an in situ interaction of 5‐LO with Dicer, a key enzyme in miRNA biogenesis. RNA sequencing of small noncoding RNAs revealed a functional impact, knockout of 5‐LO altered the expression profile of several miRNAs. Effects of 5‐LO could be observed at two levels. qPCR analyses thus indicated that (a) 5‐LO promotes the transcription of the evolutionarily conserved miR‐99b/let‐7e/miR‐125a cluster and (b) the 5‐LO‐Dicer interaction downregulates the processing of pre‐let‐7e, resulting in an increase in miR‐125a and miR‐99b levels by 5‐LO without concomitant changes in let‐7e levels in differentiated MM6 cells. Our observations suggest that 5‐LO regulates the miRNA profile by modulating the Dicer‐mediated processing of distinct pre‐miRNAs. 5‐LO inhibits the formation of let‐7e which is a well‐known inducer of cell differentiation, but promotes the generation of miR‐99b and miR‐125a known to induce cell proliferation and the maintenance of leukemic stem cell functions

Mechanistic insights into an engineered riboswitch: a switching element which confers riboswitch activity

While many different RNA aptamers have been identified that bind to a plethora of small molecules only very few are capable of acting as engineered riboswitches. Even for aptamers binding the same ligand large differences in their regulatory potential were observed. We address here the molecular basis for these differences by using a set of unrelated neomycin-binding aptamers. UV melting analyses showed that regulating aptamers are thermally stabilized to a significantly higher degree upon ligand binding than inactive ones. Regulating aptamers show high ligand-binding affinity in the low nanomolar range which is necessary but not sufficient for regulation. NMR data showed that a destabilized, open ground state accompanied by extensive structural changes upon ligand binding is important for regulation. In contrast, inactive aptamers are already pre-formed in the absence of the ligand. By a combination of genetic, biochemical and structural analyses, we identified a switching element responsible for destabilizing the ligand free state without compromising the bound form. Our results explain for the first time the molecular mechanism of an engineered riboswitch

Investigating the Prevalence of RNA-Binding Metabolic Enzymes in E. coli

An open research field in cellular regulation is the assumed crosstalk between RNAs, metabolic enzymes, and metabolites, also known as the REM hypothesis. High-throughput assays have produced extensive interactome data with metabolic enzymes frequently found as hits, but only a few examples have been biochemically validated, with deficits especially in prokaryotes. Therefore, we rationally selected nineteen Escherichia coli enzymes from such datasets and examined their ability to bind RNAs using two complementary methods, iCLIP and SELEX. Found interactions were validated by EMSA and other methods. For most of the candidates, we observed no RNA binding (12/19) or a rather unspecific binding (5/19). Two of the candidates, namely glutamate-5-kinase (ProB) and quinone oxidoreductase (QorA), displayed specific and previously unknown binding to distinct RNAs. We concentrated on the interaction of QorA to the mRNA of yffO, a grounded prophage gene, which could be validated by EMSA and MST. Because the physiological function of both partners is not known, the biological relevance of this interaction remains elusive. Furthermore, we found novel RNA targets for the MS2 phage coat protein that served us as control. Our results indicate that RNA binding of metabolic enzymes in procaryotes is less frequent than suggested by the results of high-throughput studies, but does occur

Conformational dynamics of the tetracycline-binding aptamer

The conformational dynamics induced by ligand binding to the tetracycline-binding aptamer is monitored via stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy and time-correlated single photon counting experiments. The fluorescence of the ligand is sensitive to changes within the tertiary structure of the aptamer during and after the binding process. In addition to the wild-type aptamer, the mutants A9G, A13U and A50U are examined, where bases important for regulation are changed to inhibit the aptamer’s function. Our results suggest a very fast two-step-mechanism for the binding of the ligand to the aptamer that can be interpreted as a binding step followed by a reorganization of the aptamer to accommodate the ligand. Binding to the two direct contact points A13 and A50 was found to occur in the first binding step. The exchange of the structurally important base A9 for guanine induces an enormous deceleration of the overall binding process, which is mainly rooted in an enhancement of the back reaction of the first binding step by several orders of magnitude. This indicates a significant loss of tertiary structure of the aptamer in the absence of the base A9, and underlines the importance of pre-organization on the overall binding process of the tetracycline-binding aptamer

A fast and efficient translational control system for conditional expression of yeast genes

A new artificial regulatory system for essential genes in yeast is described. It prevents translation of target mRNAs upon tetracycline (tc) binding to aptamers introduced into their 5'UTRs. Exploiting direct RNA–ligand interaction renders auxiliary protein factors unnecessary. Therefore, our approach is strain independent and not susceptible to interferences by heterologous expressed regulatory proteins. We use a simple PCR-based strategy, which allows easy tagging of any target gene and the level of gene expression can be adjusted due to various tc aptamer-regulated promoters. As proof of concept, five differently expressed genes were targeted, two of which could not be regulated previously. In all cases, adding tc completely prevented growth and, as shown for Nop14p, rapidly abolished de novo protein synthesis providing a powerful tool for conditional regulation of yeast gene expression

Aptamers in Bordeaux, 24−25 June 2016

The symposium covered the many different aspects of the selection and the characterization of aptamers as well as their application in analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic areas. Natural and artificial riboswitches were discussed. Recent advances for the design of mutated polymerases and of chemically modified nucleic acid bases that provide aptamers with new properties were presented. The power of aptamer platforms for multiplex analysis of biomarkers of major human diseases was described. The potential of aptamers for the treatment of cancer or cardiovascular diseases was also presented. Brief summaries of the lectures presented during the symposium are given in this report. A second edition of “Aptamers in Bordeaux” will take place on September 2017 (http://www.aptamers-in-bordeaux.com/)

Post-Transcriptional Regulation of 5-Lipoxygenase mRNA Expression via Alternative Splicing and Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay

5-Lipoxygenase (5-LO) catalyzes the two initial steps in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes (LT), a group of inflammatory lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid. Here, we investigated the regulation of 5-LO mRNA expression by alternative splicing and nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). In the present study, we report the identification of 2 truncated transcripts and 4 novel 5-LO splice variants containing premature termination codons (PTC). The characterization of one of the splice variants, 5-LOΔ3, revealed that it is a target for NMD since knockdown of the NMD factors UPF1, UPF2 and UPF3b in the human monocytic cell line Mono Mac 6 (MM6) altered the expression of 5-LOΔ3 mRNA up to 2-fold in a cell differentiation-dependent manner suggesting that cell differentiation alters the composition or function of the NMD complex. In contrast, the mature 5-LO mRNA transcript was not affected by UPF knockdown. Thus, the data suggest that the coupling of alternative splicing and NMD is involved in the regulation of 5-LO gene expression

Engineered riboswitches control gene expression by small molecules.

We have developed conditional gene expression systems based on engineered small-molecule-binding riboswitches. Tetracycline-dependent regulation can be imposed on an mRNA in yeast by inserting an aptamer in its 5'-untranslated region. Biochemical and genetic analyses determined that binding of the ligand tetracycline leads to a pseudoknot-like linkage within the aptamer structure, thereby inhibiting the initial steps of translation. A second translational control element was designed by combining a theophylline aptamer with a communication module for which a 1 nt slipping mechanism had been proposed. This structural element was inserted close to the bacterial ribosomal binding site at a position just interfering with translation in the non-ligand-bound form. Addition of the ligand then shifts the inhibitory element to a distance that permits efficient translation