Rafal Ciosk

ATX-2, the C. elegans ortholog of ataxin 2, functions in translational regulation in the germline

Human ataxin 2 is a protein of unknown function that is implicated in the neurodegenerative disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. We found that the C. elegans ortholog of ataxin 2, ATX-2, forms a complex with PAB-1, a cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein, and that ATX-2 is required for development of the germline. In the absence of ATX-2, proliferation of stem cells is reduced, and the germline is abnormally masculinized. These defects appear to result from inappropriate translational regulation that normally is mediated by the conserved KH-domain protein GLD-1. We find that MEX-3, a second KH-domain protein, exhibits a novel, ATX-2-dependent role in preventing inappropriate translation in the germline stem cells. Together, our results suggest that ATX-2 functions in translational regulation that is mediated by GLD-1 and MEX-3 proteins.

A quantitative RNA code for mRNA target selection by the germline fate determinant GLD-1.

RNA‐binding proteins (RBPs) are critical regulators of gene expression. To understand and predict the outcome of RBP‐mediated regulation a comprehensive analysis of their interaction with RNA is necessary. The signal transduction and activation of RNA (STAR) family of RBPs includes developmental regulators and tumour suppressors such as Caenorhabditis elegans GLD‐1, which is a key regulator of germ cell development. To obtain a comprehensive picture of GLD‐1 interactions with the transcriptome, we identified GLD‐1‐associated mRNAs by RNA immunoprecipitation followed by microarray detection. Based on the computational analysis of these mRNAs we generated a predictive model, where GLD‐1 association with mRNA is determined by the strength and number of 7‐mer GLD‐1‐binding motifs (GBMs) within UTRs. We verified this quantitative model both in vitro, by competition GLD‐1/GBM‐binding experiments to determine relative affinity, and in vivo, by ‘transplantation’ experiments, where ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ GBMs imposed translational repression of increasing strength on a non‐target mRNA. This study demonstrates that transcriptome‐wide identification of RBP mRNA targets combined with quantitative computational analysis can generate highly predictive models of post‐transcriptional regulatory networks.

Translational Repression of Cyclin E Prevents Precocious Mitosis and Embryonic Gene Activation during C. elegans Meiosis

Germ cells, the cells that give rise to sperm and egg, maintain the potential to recreate all cell types in a new individual. This wide developmental potential, or totipotency, is manifested in unusual tumors called teratomas, in which germ cells undergo somatic differentiation. Although recent studies have implicated RNA regulation, the mechanism that normally prevents the loss of germ cell identity remains unexplained. In C. elegans, a teratoma is induced in the absence of the conserved RNA-binding protein GLD-1. Here, we demonstrate that GLD-1 represses translation of CYE-1/cyclin E during meiotic prophase, which prevents germ cells from re-entering mitosis and inducing embryonic-like transcription. We describe a mechanism that prevents precocious mitosis in germ cells undergoing meiosis, propose that this mechanism maintains germ cell identity by delaying the onset of embryonic gene activation until after fertilization, and provide a paradigm for the possible origin of human teratomas.

The T-box transcription factors TBX-37 and TBX-38 link GLP-1/Notch signaling to mesoderm induction in C. elegans embryos.

The four-cell C. elegans embryo contains two sister cells called ABa and ABp that initially have equivalent abilities to produce ectodermal cell types. Multiple Notch-mediated interactions occur during the early cell divisions that diversify the ABa and ABp descendants. The first interaction determines the pattern of ectodermal cell types produced by ABp. The second interaction induces two ABa granddaughters to become mesodermal precursors. We show that T-box transcription factors called TBX-37 and TBX-38 are essential for mesodermal induction, and that these factors are expressed in ABa, but not ABp, descendants. We provide evidence that the first Notch interaction functions largely, if not entirely, to prevent TBX-37, TBX-38 expression in ABp descendants. Neither the second Notch interaction nor TBX-37, TBX-38 alone are sufficient for mesodermal induction, indicating that both must function together. We conclude that TBX-37, TBX-38 play a key role in distinguishing the outcomes of two sequential Notch-mediated interactions.

The TRIM-NHL Protein LIN-41 Controls the Onset of Developmental Plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans

The mechanisms controlling cell fate determination and reprogramming are fundamental for development. A profound reprogramming, allowing the production of pluripotent cells in early embryos, takes place during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. To understand how the oocyte reprogramming potential is controlled, we sought Caenorhabditis elegans mutants in which embryonic transcription is initiated precociously in germ cells. This screen identified LIN-41, a TRIM-NHL protein and a component of the somatic heterochronic pathway, as a temporal regulator of pluripotency in the germline. We found that LIN-41 is expressed in the cytoplasm of developing oocytes, which, in lin-41 mutants, acquire pluripotent characteristics of embryonic cells and form teratomas. To understand LIN-41 function in the germline, we conducted structure-function studies. In contrast to other TRIM-NHL proteins, we found that LIN-41 is unlikely to function as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Similar to other TRIM-NHL proteins, the somatic function of LIN-41 is thought to involve mRNA regulation. Surprisingly, we found that mutations predicted to disrupt the association of LIN-41 with mRNA, which otherwise compromise LIN-41 function in the heterochronic pathway in the soma, have only minor effects in the germline. Similarly, LIN-41-mediated repression of a key somatic mRNA target is dispensable for the germline function. Thus, LIN-41 appears to function in the germline and the soma via different molecular mechanisms. These studies provide the first insight into the mechanism inhibiting the onset of embryonic differentiation in developing oocytes, which is required to ensure a successful transition between generations.

FBF represses the Cip/Kip cell‐cycle inhibitor CKI‐2 to promote self‐renewal of germline stem cells in C. elegans

Although the decision between stem cell self‐renewal and differentiation has been linked to cell‐cycle modifications, our understanding of cell‐cycle regulation in stem cells is very limited. Here, we report that FBF/Pumilio, a conserved RNA‐binding protein, promotes self‐renewal of germline stem cells by repressing CKI‐2Cip/Kip, a Cyclin E/Cdk2 inhibitor. We have previously shown that repression of CYE‐1 (Cyclin E) by another RNA‐binding protein, GLD‐1/Quaking, promotes germ cell differentiation. Together, these findings suggest that a post‐transcriptional regulatory circuit involving FBF and GLD‐1 controls the self‐renewal versus differentiation decision in the germline by promoting high CYE‐1/CDK‐2 activity in stem cells, and inhibiting CYE‐1/CDK‐2 activity in differentiating cells.

The Quaking family of RNA-binding proteins: coordinators of the cell cycle and differentiation.

Transcriptional and epigenetic control of gene expression is critical for cell fate specification, commitment and terminal differentiation during development. However, also regulatory RNAs and RNA-binding proteins have emerged as critical developmental regulators. They control various aspects of mRNA metabolism such as stability, translation, and localization, and similar to some transcriptional regulators, such as PAX5 and MYC, they can affect gene expression on a massive scale. Consistently, defects in many mRNA regulators have been implicated in a number of human disorders, including cancer. Quaking-related (QR) proteins are conserved RNA-binding proteins of the STAR (signal transduction and activation of RNA) family. QR proteins regulate expression of diverse mRNA targets by various mechanisms, play essential roles in a whole host of developmental decisions, and function as tumor suppressors. This review discusses several best-studied members of the QR family, their developmental functions, molecular mechanisms, representative mRNA targets, and their intriguing ability to coordinately control the cell cycle and a wide range of differentiation pathways.

CRL2LRR-1 E3-Ligase Regulates Proliferation and Progression through Meiosis in the Caenorhabditis elegans Germline

The ubiquitin-proteolytic system controls the stability of proteins in space and time. In this study, using a temperature-sensitive mutant allele of the cul-2 gene, we show that CRL2LRR-1 (CUL-2 RING E3 ubiquitin-ligase and the Leucine Rich Repeat 1 substrate recognition subunit) acts at multiple levels to control germline development. CRL2LRR-1 promotes germ cell proliferation by counteracting the DNA replication ATL-1 checkpoint pathway. CRL2LRR-1 also participates in the mitotic proliferation/meiotic entry decision, presumably controlling the stability of meiotic promoting factors in the mitotic zone of the germline. Finally, CRL2LRR-1 inhibits the first steps of meiotic prophase by targeting in mitotic germ cells degradation of the HORMA domain-containing protein HTP-3, required for loading synaptonemal complex components onto meiotic chromosomes. Given its widespread evolutionary conservation, CUL-2 may similarly regulate germline development in other organisms as well.

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Caenorhabditis elegans: Evaluation of Templates for Homology-Mediated Repair and Knock-Ins by Homology-Independent DNA Repair

Precise genome editing by the Cas9 nuclease depends on exogenously provided templates for homologous recombination. Here, we compare oligonucleotides with short homology and circular DNA molecules with extensive homology to genomic targets as templates for homology-based repair of CRISPR/Cas9 induced double-strand breaks. We find oligonucleotides to be templates of choice for introducing small sequence changes into the genome based on editing efficiency and ease of use. We show that polarity of oligonucleotide templates greatly affects repair efficiency: oligonucleotides in the sense orientation with respect to the target gene are better templates. In addition, combining a gene loss-of-function phenotype screen with detection of integrated fluorescent markers, we demonstrate that targeted knock-ins in Caenorhabditis elegans also can be achieved by homology-independent repair.

TRIM-NHL proteins in development and disease.

TRIM-NHL proteins are key regulators of developmental transitions, for example promoting differentiation, while inhibiting cell growth and proliferation, in stem and progenitor cells. Abnormalities in these proteins have been also associated with human diseases, particularly affecting muscular and neuronal functions, making them potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic and comprehensive summary on the most studied TRIM-NHL proteins, highlighting examples where connections were established between structural features, molecular functions and biological outcomes.