Marc-David Ruepp

Rescue of a severe mouse model for spinal muscular atrophy by U7 snRNA-mediated splicing modulation

In spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of early childhood death, the survival motor neuron 1 gene (SMN1) is deleted or inactivated. The nearly identical SMN2 gene has a silent mutation that impairs the utilization of exon 7 and the production of functional protein. It has been hypothesized that therapies boosting SMN2 exon 7 inclusion might prevent or cure SMA. Exon 7 inclusion can be stimulated in cell culture by oligonucleotides or intracellularly expressed RNAs, but evidence for an in vivo improvement of SMA symptoms is lacking. Here, we unambiguously confirm the above hypothesis by showing that a bifunctional U7 snRNA that stimulates exon 7 inclusion, when introduced by germline transgenesis, can efficiently complement the most severe mouse SMA model. These results are significant for the development of a somatic SMA therapy, but may also provide new means to study pathophysiological aspects of this devastating disease.

Interactions of CstF-64, CstF-77, and symplekin: Implications on localisation and function

Important interactions controlling the function of CstF-64 in histone RNA processing and general mRNA cleavage/polyadenylation are identified, and an interesting coregulation of CstF-64 and its paralogue CstF-64Tau leads to a model for CstF regulation and its role in modulating poly(A) site choice.

Effect of combined systemic and local morpholino treatment on the spinal muscular atrophy δ7 mouse model phenotype

BACKGROUND Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a fatal motor neuron disease of childhood that is caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene. Currently, no effective treatment is available. One possible therapeutic approach is the use of antisense oligos (ASOs) to redirect the splicing of the paralogous gene SMN2, thus increasing functional SMN protein production. Various ASOs with different chemical properties are suitable for these applications, including a morpholino oligomer (MO) variant with a particularly excellent safety and efficacy profile. OBJECTIVE We investigated a 25-nt MO sequence targeting the negative intronic splicing silencer (ISS-N1) 10 to 34 region. METHODS We administered a 25-nt MO sequence against the ISS-N1 region of SMN2 (HSMN2Ex7D[-10-34]) in the SMAΔ7 mouse model and evaluated the effect and neuropathologic phenotype. We tested different concentrations (from 2 to 24 nM) and delivery protocols (intracerebroventricular injection, systemic injection, or both). We evaluated the treatment efficacy regarding SMN levels, survival, neuromuscular phenotype, and neuropathologic features. RESULTS We found that a 25-nt MO sequence against the ISS-N1 region of SMN2 (HSMN2Ex7D[-10-34]) exhibited superior efficacy in transgenic SMAΔ7 mice compared with previously described sequences. In our experiments, the combination of local and systemic administration of MO (bare or conjugated to octaguanidine) was the most effective approach for increasing full-length SMN expression, leading to robust improvement in neuropathologic features and survival. Moreover, we found that several small nuclear RNAs were deregulated in SMA mice and that their levels were restored by MO treatment. CONCLUSION These results indicate that MO-mediated SMA therapy is efficacious and can result in phenotypic rescue, providing important insights for further development of ASO-based therapeutic strategies in SMA patients.

Minor intron splicing is regulated by FUS and affected by ALS‐associated FUS mutants

Fused in sarcoma (FUS) is a ubiquitously expressed RNA‐binding protein proposed to function in various RNA metabolic pathways, including transcription regulation, pre‐mRNA splicing, RNA transport and microRNA processing. Mutations in the FUS gene were identified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but the pathomechanisms by which these mutations cause ALS are not known. Here, we show that FUS interacts with the minor spliceosome constituent U11 snRNP, binds preferentially to minor introns and directly regulates their removal. Furthermore, a FUS knockout in neuroblastoma cells strongly disturbs the splicing of minor intron‐containing mRNAs, among them mRNAs required for action potential transmission and for functional spinal motor units. Moreover, an ALS‐associated FUS mutant that forms cytoplasmic aggregates inhibits splicing of minor introns by trapping U11 and U12 snRNAs in these aggregates. Collectively, our findings suggest a possible pathomechanism for ALS in which mutated FUS inhibits correct splicing of minor introns in mRNAs encoding proteins required for motor neuron survival.

Monomethylated and unmethylated FUS exhibit increased binding to Transportin and distinguish FTLD-FUS from ALS-FUS

Deposition of the nuclear DNA/RNA-binding protein Fused in sarcoma (FUS) in cytosolic inclusions is a common hallmark of some cases of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-FUS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS-FUS). Whether both diseases also share common pathological mechanisms is currently unclear. Based on our previous finding that FUS deposits are hypomethylated in FTLD-FUS but not in ALS-FUS, we have now investigated whether genetic or pharmacological inactivation of Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) activity results in unmethylated FUS or in alternatively methylated forms of FUS. To do so, we generated FUS-specific monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize unmethylated arginine (UMA), monomethylated arginine (MMA) or asymmetrically dimethylated arginine (ADMA). Loss of PRMT1 indeed not only results in an increase of UMA FUS and a decrease of ADMA FUS, but also in a significant increase of MMA FUS. Compared to ADMA FUS, UMA and MMA FUS exhibit much higher binding affinities to Transportin-1, the nuclear import receptor of FUS, as measured by pull-down assays and isothermal titration calorimetry. Moreover, we show that MMA FUS occurs exclusively in FTLD-FUS, but not in ALS-FUS. Our findings therefore provide additional evidence that FTLD-FUS and ALS-FUS are caused by distinct disease mechanisms although both share FUS deposits as a common denominator.

The 68 kDa subunit of mammalian cleavage factor I interacts with the U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein and participates in 3′-end processing of animal histone mRNAs

Metazoan replication-dependent histone pre-mRNAs undergo a unique 3′-cleavage reaction which does not result in mRNA polyadenylation. Although the cleavage site is defined by histone-specific factors (hairpin binding protein, a 100-kDa zinc-finger protein and the U7 snRNP), a large complex consisting of cleavage/polyadenylation specificity factor, two subunits of cleavage stimulation factor and symplekin acts as the effector of RNA cleavage. Here, we report that yet another protein involved in cleavage/polyadenylation, mammalian cleavage factor I 68-kDa subunit (CF Im68), participates in histone RNA 3′-end processing. CF Im68 was found in a highly purified U7 snRNP preparation. Its interaction with the U7 snRNP depends on the N-terminus of the U7 snRNP protein Lsm11, known to be important for histone RNA processing. In vivo, both depletion and overexpression of CF Im68 cause significant decreases in processing efficiency. In vitro 3′-end processing is slightly stimulated by the addition of low amounts of CF Im68, but inhibited by high amounts or by anti-CF Im68 antibody. Finally, immunoprecipitation of CF Im68 results in a strong enrichment of histone pre-mRNAs. In contrast, the small CF Im subunit, CF Im25, does not appear to be involved in histone RNA processing.

mRNA 3' end processing and more--multiple functions of mammalian cleavage factor I-68.

The formation of defined 3′ ends is an important step in the biogenesis of mRNAs. In eukaryotic cells, all mRNA 3′ ends are generated by endonucleolytic cleavage of primary transcripts in reactions that are essentially posttranscriptional. Nevertheless, 3′ end formation is tightly connected to transcription in vivo, and a link with mRNA export to the cytoplasm has been postulated. Here, we briefly review the current knowledge about the two types of mRNA 3′ end processing reactions, cleavage/polyadenylation and histone RNA processing. We then focus on factors shared between these two reactions. In particular, we discuss evidence for new functions of the mammalian cleavage factor I subunit CF Im68 in histone RNA 3′ processing and in the export of mature mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. WIREs RNA 2011 2 79–91 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.35

Paraquat Modulates Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing by Modifying the Intracellular Distribution of SRPK2

Paraquat (PQ) is a neurotoxic herbicide that induces superoxide formation. Although it is known that its toxic properties are linked to ROS production, the cellular response to PQ is still poorly understood. We reported previously that treatment with PQ induced genome-wide changes in pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying PQ-induced pre-mRNA splicing alterations. We show that PQ treatment leads to the phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of SRPK2, a member of the family of serine/arginine (SR) protein-specific kinases. Concomitantly, we observed increased phosphorylation of SR proteins. Site-specific mutagenesis identified a single serine residue that is necessary and sufficient for nuclear localization of SRPK2. Transfection of a phosphomimetic mutant modified splice site selection of the E1A minigene splicing reporter similar to PQ-treatment. Finally, we found that PQ induces DNA damage and vice versa that genotoxic treatments are also able to promote SRPK2 phosphorylation and nuclear localization. Consistent with these observations, treatment with PQ, cisplatin or γ-radiation promote changes in the splicing pattern of genes involved in DNA repair, cell cycle control, and apoptosis. Altogether, our findings reveal a novel regulatory mechanism that connects PQ to the DNA damage response and to the modulation of alternative splicing via SRPK2 phosphorylation.

Identification of Interactions in the NMD Complex Using Proximity-Dependent Biotinylation (BioID)

Proximity-dependent trans-biotinylation by the Escherichia coli biotin ligase BirA mutant R118G (BirA*) allows stringent streptavidin affinity purification of proximal proteins. This so-called BioID method provides an alternative to the widely used co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) to identify protein-protein interactions. Here, we used BioID, on its own and combined with co-IP, to identify proteins involved in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), a post-transcriptional mRNA turnover pathway that targets mRNAs that fail to terminate translation properly. In particular, we expressed BirA* fused to the well characterized NMD factors UPF1, UPF2 and SMG5 and detected by liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) the streptavidin-purified biotinylated proteins. While the identified already known interactors confirmed the usefulness of BioID, we also found new potentially important interactors that have escaped previous detection by co-IP, presumably because they associate only weakly and/or very transiently with the NMD machinery. Our results suggest that SMG5 only transiently contacts the UPF1-UPF2-UPF3 complex and that it provides a physical link to the decapping complex. In addition, BioID revealed among others CRKL and EIF4A2 as putative novel transient interactors with NMD factors, but whether or not they have a function in NMD remains to be elucidated.

FUS/TLS contributes to replication-dependent histone gene expression by interaction with U7 snRNPs and histone-specific transcription factors

Replication-dependent histone genes are up-regulated during the G1/S phase transition to meet the requirement for histones to package the newly synthesized DNA. In mammalian cells, this increment is achieved by enhanced transcription and 3′ end processing. The non-polyadenylated histone mRNA 3′ ends are generated by a unique mechanism involving the U7 small ribonucleoprotein (U7 snRNP). By using affinity purification methods to enrich U7 snRNA, we identified FUS/TLS as a novel U7 snRNP interacting protein. Both U7 snRNA and histone transcripts can be precipitated by FUS antibodies predominantly in the S phase of the cell cycle. Moreover, FUS depletion leads to decreased levels of correctly processed histone mRNAs and increased levels of extended transcripts. Interestingly, FUS antibodies also co-immunoprecipitate histone transcriptional activator NPAT and transcriptional repressor hnRNP UL1 in different phases of the cell cycle. We further show that FUS binds to histone genes in S phase, promotes the recruitment of RNA polymerase II and is important for the activity of histone gene promoters. Thus, FUS may serve as a linking factor that positively regulates histone gene transcription and 3′ end processing by interacting with the U7 snRNP and other factors involved in replication-dependent histone gene expression.