Tapas K. Sengupta

Mechanism of Regulation of bcl-2 mRNA by Nucleolin and A+U-rich Element-binding Factor 1 (AUF1)

The antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, particularly leukemias. In some cell types this is the result of enhanced stability of bcl-2 mRNA, which is controlled by elements in its 3′-untranslated region. Nucleolin is one of the proteins that binds to bcl-2 mRNA, thereby increasing its half-life. Here, we examined the site on the bcl-2 3′-untranslated region that is bound by nucleolin as well as the protein binding domains important for bcl-2 mRNA recognition. RNase footprinting and RNA fragment binding assays demonstrated that nucleolin binds to a 40-nucleotide region at the 5′ end of the 136-nucleotide bcl-2 AU-rich element (AREbcl-2). The first two RNA binding domains of nucleolin were sufficient for high affinity binding to AREbcl-2. In RNA decay assays, AREbcl-2 transcripts were protected from exosomal decay by the addition of nucleolin. AUF1 has been shown to recruit the exosome to mRNAs. When MV-4-11 cell extracts were immunodepleted of AUF1, the rate of decay of AREbcl-2 transcripts was reduced, indicating that nucleolin and AUF1 have opposing roles in bcl-2 mRNA turnover. When the function of nucleolin in MV-4-11 cells was impaired by treatment with the nucleolin-targeting aptamer AS1411, association of AUF1 with bcl-2 mRNA was increased. This suggests that the degradation of bcl-2 mRNA induced by AS1411 results from both interference with nucleolin protection of bcl-2 mRNA and recruitment of the exosome by AUF1. Based on our findings, we propose a model that illustrates the opposing roles of nucleolin and AUF1 in regulating bcl-2 mRNA stability.

Regulation of Bcl-2 Expression by HuR in HL60 Leukemia Cells and A431 Carcinoma Cells

Overexpression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 promotes abnormal cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis. Expression of bcl-2 is determined, in part, by regulatory mechanisms that control the stability of bcl-2 mRNA. Elements in the 3′-untranslated region of bcl-2 mRNA have been shown to play a role in regulating the stability of the message. Previously, it was found that the RNA binding proteins nucleolin and Ebp1 have a role in stabilizing bcl-2 mRNA in HL60 cells. Here, we have identified HuR as a component of bcl-2 messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complexes. RNA coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that HuR binds to bcl-2 mRNA in vivo. We also observed an RNA-dependent coprecipitation of HuR and nucleolin, suggesting that the two proteins are present in common mRNP complexes. Moreover, nucleolin and HuR bind concurrently to bcl-2 AU-rich element (ARE) RNA in vitro, suggesting separate binding sites for these proteins on bcl-2 mRNA. Knockdown of HuR in A431 cells leads to down-regulation of bcl-2 mRNA and protein levels. Observation of a decreased ratio of bcl-2 mRNA to heterogeneous nuclear RNA in HuR knockdown cells confirmed a positive role for HuR in regulating bcl-2 stability. Recombinant HuR retards exosome-mediated decay of bcl-2 ARE RNA in extracts of HL60 cells. This supports a role for HuR in the regulation of bcl-2 mRNA stability in HL60 cells, as well as in A431 cells. Addition of nucleolin and HuR to HL60 cell extracts produced a synergistic protective effect on decay of bcl-2 ARE RNA. HuR knockdown also leads to redistribution of bcl-2 mRNA from polysomes to monosomes. Thus, HuR seems to play a positive role in both regulation of bcl-2 mRNA translation and mRNA stability. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(8):1354–66)

Identification of the RNA Binding Domain of T4 RegA Protein by Structure-based Mutagenesis

The T4 translational repressor RegA protein folds into two structural domains, as revealed by the crystal structure (Kang, C.-H., Chan, R., Berger, I., Lockshin, C., Green, L., Gold, L., and Rich, A. (1995) Science 268, 1170–1173). Domain I of the RegA protein contains a four-stranded β-sheet and two α-helices. Domain II contains a four-stranded β-sheet and an unusual 3/10 helix. Since β-sheet residues play a role in a number of protein-RNA interactions, one or both of the β-sheet regions in RegA protein may be involved in RNA binding. To test this possibility, mutagenesis of residues on both β-sheets was performed, and the effects on the RNA binding affinities of RegA protein were measured. Additional sites for mutagenesis were selected from molecular modeling of RegA protein. The RNA binding affinities of three purified mutant RegA proteins were evaluated by fluorescence quenching equilibrium binding assays. The activities of the remainder of the mutant proteins were evaluated by quantitative RNA gel mobility shift assays using lysed cell supernatants. The results of this mutagenesis study ruled out the participation of β-sheet residues. Instead, the RNA binding site was found to be a surface pocket formed by residues on two loops and an α-helix. Thus, RegA protein appears to use a unique structural motif in binding RNA, which may be related to its unusual RNA recognition properties.