小鼠双链RNA结合蛋白STAUFEN1介导的mRNA降解机制及其在脂肪细胞分化过程中的作用

过多能量摄入导致的肥胖已经成为了一个世界范围的问题,严重威胁着人们的健康。肥胖症以某些部位脂肪过度沉积为特点,而脂肪细胞的过度增殖和异常分化是肥胖发生的基础。越来越多的研究表明转录后调控在脂肪细胞分化过程中发挥着重要功能。STAU1(STAUFEN1)是一种双链RNA结合蛋白,能够靶向介导下游m RNA降解,参与脂肪细胞分化。STAU1可以在转录后水平调控脂肪细胞分化相关基因的可变剪接、翻译及降解,从而影响m RNA的代谢。该文就STAU1在脂肪细胞和组织中的功能和机制进行综述,希望为肥胖及2型糖尿病的治疗提供新的启示。     

真核生物mRNA的帽结构与由结合蛋白

帽结构是所有ＲＮＡ聚合酶Ⅱ转录产物的特征性结构,它在ｍＲＮＡ的功能和代谢的很多方面起作用。在这些过程中还离不开相关蛋白质对它的识别和粘附,作为它行使功能的媒介,这些蛋白南就称为帽结合蛋白（Ｃａｐ－Ｂｉｎｄｉｎｇ Ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ,ＣＢＰ）。该文主要讨论了帽结构与胞质中的ＣＢＰ－ｅＩＦ４Ｅ（ｅｕｋａｒｙｏｔｉｃ ｉｎｉｔｉａｔｉｏｎ ｆａｃｔｏｒ ４Ｅ,真核核起始因子４Ｅ）的相互作用在ｍＲＢＮＡ指导的     

双链RNA结合蛋白与双链RNA结合域

双链RNA(double stranded RNA,dsRNA)能引发细胞的抗病毒机制,其产生效应是因为作用于含有dsRNA结合域(dsRNA·binding domain,DRBD)的酶类和其他功能蛋白质,这些蛋白质能够特异性地识别并结合dsRNA,从而引起细胞应答.已有的资料表明DRBD不仅与dsRNA结合,还能与DNA或其他形式的RNA分子结合,而且有些蛋白质的DRBD不与任何核酸分子结合,仅起调节作用.另外,同种蛋白质的不同DRBD之间以及不同蛋白质的DRBD之间也能相互作用,从而形成复杂的蛋白质一蛋白质复合体,参与多种细胞代谢途径.因此,DRBD及其含有这些结构域的蛋白质可能具有多种功能.     

RNA结合蛋白与非编码RNA调节关系的研究进展

近年来,越来越多的研究表明,RNA结合蛋白(RNA binding protein,RBP)与多种类型的非编码RNAs(noncoding RNA,ncRNAs)具有互相调节的关系,且调节机制形式多样。一方面,RBP可以调节ncRNA的生物合成、稳定性和功能;另一方面,ncRNA也可以影响RBP的功能和结构。同时,RBP和ncRNA的相互作用还在其他靶基因的调节上起着重要的作用,从而参与众多的生物过程,如组织发育、代谢性疾病、神经退行性疾病、抗病毒免疫和各种癌症等。该文就RBP与常见类型的ncRNAs,包括miRNA、lncRNA、circRNA的相互作用方式和调节机制的研究进展作一综述。     

动植物中RNA结合蛋白的研究进展

RNA结合蛋白(RNA-binding proteins)在转录后基因表达调节中起着重要的作用,它通过和RNA相互作用来调节细胞的功能。RNA结合蛋白参与RNA剪接、多聚腺苷化作用、序列编辑、RNA转运、维持RNA的稳定和降解、细胞内定位和翻译控制等RNA代谢的各个方面。主要介绍了RNA结合蛋白的结构、靶标RNA及RNA结合蛋白在动植物和疾病中的研究。     

Y—box结合蛋白对mRNA的隐敝作用

本文介绍了Y-box结合蛋白与RNA的结合特征、影响因素以及mRNA隐蔽作用的调节等,分析了Y-box结合蛋白翻译抑制作用的原理和意义。由于Y-box结合蛋白特殊的、高度保守的结构,决定了它们与RNA(或DNA)的结合特征。任何影响Y-box结合蛋白结构的因素都将不同程度地影响其功能。Y-box结合蛋白被认为是生殖细胞和早胚细胞中含量最丰富的蛋白质之一,为“母系”和“父系”mRNP颗粒中的主要成分,在隐蔽mRNA中起重要作用。因而,对Y-box结合蛋白的研究,将对生殖细胞的成熟、早胚发育的分子机制以及母型向合子型过渡等一系列问题的解释都会有帮助。另外,研究范围若扩展到体细胞领域,也将对相关的研究有促进作用。     

冷诱导RNA结合蛋白在应激状态下对细胞的保护作用机制

冷诱导RNA结合蛋白(cold-inducible RNA-binding protein,CIRP)是目前哺乳动物中被广泛研究的冷应激蛋白之一。CIRP在脊椎动物间高度保守,在多种类型的细胞中均有表达,参与体内多种生物学过程。在应激条件下,CIRP从细胞核迁移到细胞质的应激颗粒中,通过与其特异靶基因结合,发挥一系列生物学效应,帮助细胞快速适应各种环境应激,尤其在温和低温、紫外线、缺氧等应激条件下,CIRP被诱导表达,通过与其特异靶基因结合、增加mRNA的稳定性、抗细胞凋亡等方式发挥细胞保护作用。文章重点对冷诱导RNA结合蛋白在应激状态下的细胞保护作用机制的研究进展进行综述。     

RNA结合蛋白PABPC1的功能及生物学作用

多聚腺苷酸结合蛋白(poly (A) binding protein,PABP)家族通常被认为是mRNA poly (A)尾的一种保护屏障.其中细胞质多聚腺苷酸结合蛋白1 (cytoplasmic poly (A) binding protein-1,PABPC1)在高亲和力作用下能够与mRNA中富含腺苷酸的序列结合,在基因转录后调控中发挥着重要作用.同时PABPC1还参与mRNA的许多代谢通路,包括腺苷酸多聚化/脱腺苷酸化、m RNA转运、m RNA翻译、降解及mircoRNA相关调控.近年来关于PABPC1与生殖细胞的发育、心肌肥大和肿瘤的发生发展的报道屡见不鲜,可见PABPC1与细胞的生长发育有密切联系.本文将主要介绍PABPC1的结构、表达调控、功能及其生物学作用.     

白桦叶绿体RNA结合蛋白的蛋白质组学分析

在高等植物叶绿体中,RNA结合蛋白在转录后RNA处理、运输以及mRNA的稳定等方面发挥重要作用.本项研究使用多聚腺苷酸(polyA）吸附柱或单链DNA(ssDNA)吸附柱富集白桦叶绿体的polyA结合蛋白或RNA结合蛋白,并通过MALDI-TOF-MS以及ESI MS/MS进行鉴定,13个叶绿体蛋白质得到了鉴定.按照Swiss Prot数据库的注释,这些蛋白质的功能主要包括4个相关种类,分别为NAD结合蛋白、RNA结合蛋白、DNA结合蛋白和ATP结合蛋白.使用这些方法还鉴定出包括转录因子的4个高丰度蛋白.这些结果加深了对树木中叶绿体RNA结合蛋白的全面了解,可以将其应用于其他树木叶绿体中RNA 蛋白质的相互作用的研究.     

Increased expression of polypyrimidine tract binding protein results in higher insulin mRNA levels

The aim of this study was to further elucidate the role of the polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB) in the control of insulin mRNA stability. We observed that the glucose- or interleukin-1beta-induced increase in insulin mRNA was paralleled by an increase in PTB mRNA. To further test the hypothesis that PTB controls insulin gene expression, betaTC-6 cells were treated with a PTB-specific siRNA to modify the beta-cell content of PTB. Surprisingly, we observed an increase in PTB mRNA and PTB protein levels in response to the siRNA treatment. In addition, the PTB-siRNA treatment also increased insulin mRNA. We conclude that expression of the PTB gene controls insulin production.     

A noncoding RNA produced by arthropod-borne flaviviruses inhibits the cellular exoribonuclease XRN1 and alters host mRNA stability

All arthropod-borne flaviviruses generate a short noncoding RNA (sfRNA) from the viral 3′ untranslated region during infection due to stalling of the cellular 5′-to-3′ exonuclease XRN1. We show here that formation of sfRNA also inhibits XRN1 activity. Cells infected with Dengue or Kunjin viruses accumulate uncapped mRNAs, decay intermediates normally targeted by XRN1. XRN1 repression also resulted in the increased overall stability of cellular mRNAs in flavivirus-infected cells. Importantly, a mutant Kunjin virus that cannot form sfRNA but replicates to normal levels failed to affect host mRNA stability or XRN1 activity. Expression of sfRNA in the absence of viral infection demonstrated that sfRNA formation was directly responsible for the stabilization of cellular mRNAs. Finally, numerous cellular mRNAs were differentially expressed in an sfRNA-dependent fashion in a Kunjin virus infection. We conclude that flaviviruses incapacitate XRN1 during infection and dysregulate host mRNA stability as a result of sfRNA formation.     

The polyglutamine-expanded protein ataxin-3 decreases bcl-2 mRNA stability

Machado-Joseph disease/Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-3. In this study, COS7-MJD26-GFP and COS7-MJD78-GFP cells, which were stably transfected with GFP-tagged full-length MJD gene with either 26 or 78 glutamine repeat, were used to demonstrate that both protein and mRNA levels of bcl-2 are decreased in the presence of expanded ataxin-3. However, the promoter activity in COS7-MJD78-GFP cells is much higher than that in COS7-MJD26-GFP, suggesting that the decrease of bcl-2 expression may be due to defects in mRNA stability. Therefore, 5,6-dichloro-benzimidazole 1-β-d-ribofuranoside, an adenosine analogue to inhibit mRNA synthesis, was used to estimate the bcl-2 mRNA degradation rate. Our results demonstrated that bcl-2 mRNA decay in COS7-MJD78-GFP cells is about 3.5-fold faster than that in COS7-MJD26-GFP. Our study provides evidence, for the first time, that dysfunction of mRNA stability resulted from the presence of mutant ataxin-3.     

Wig1 prevents cellular senescence by regulating p21 mRNA decay through control of RISC recruitment

Premature senescence, a key strategy used to suppress carcinogenesis, can be driven by p53/p21 proteins in response to various stresses. Here, we demonstrate that Wig1 plays a critical role in this process through regulation of p21 mRNA stability. Wig1 controls the association of Argonaute2 (Ago2), a central component of the RNA‐induced silencing complex (RISC), with target p21 mRNA via binding of the stem‐loop structure near the microRNA (miRNA) target site. Depletion of Wig1 prohibited miRNA‐mediated p21 mRNA decay and resulted in premature senescence. Wig1 plays an essential role in cell proliferation, as demonstrated in tumour xenografts in mice, and Wig1 and p21 mRNA levels are inversely correlated in human normal and cancer tissues. Together, our data indicate a novel role of Wig1 in RISC target accessibility, which is a key step in RNA‐mediated gene silencing. In addition, these findings indicate that fine‐tuning of p21 levels by Wig1 is essential for the prevention of cellular senescence.     

A Caenorhabditis elegans PUF protein family with distinct RNA binding specificity

PUF proteins comprise a highly conserved family of sequence-specific RNA binding proteins that regulate target mRNAs via binding directly to their 3'UTRs. The Caenorhabditis elegans genome encodes several PUF proteins, which cluster into four groups based on sequence similarity; all share amino acids that interact with the RNA in the cocrystal of human Pumilio with RNA. Members of the FBF and the PUF-8/9 groups bind different but related RNA sequences. We focus here on the binding specificity of representatives of a third cluster, comprising PUF-5, -6, and -7. We performed in vivo selection experiments using the yeast three-hybrid system to identify RNA sequences that bind PUF-5 and PUF-6, and we confirmed binding to optimal sites in vitro. The consensus sequences derived from the screens are similar for PUF-5 and PUF-6 but differ from those of the FBF or PUF-8/-9 groups. Similarly, neither PUF-5 nor PUF-6 bind the recognition sites preferred by the other clusters. Mutagenesis studies confirmed the unique RNA specificity of PUF-5/-6. Using the PUF-5 consensus derived from our experiments, we searched a database of C. elegans 3'UTRs to identify potential targets of PUF-5, several of which indeed bind PUF-5. Therefore the consensus has predictive value and provides a route to finding genuine targets of these proteins.