Wengong Wang

HuR Regulates p21 mRNA Stabilization by UV Light

ABSTRACT Expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is highly induced by many stresses, including exposure to short-wavelength UV light (UVC), which increases p21 mRNA stability. Investigation into the mechanisms underlying this stabilization process revealed that proteins present in cytoplasmic lysates of human RKO colorectal carcinoma cells formed complexes with p21 mRNA that were inducible by treatment with UVC and other stress agents. The ubiquitous Elav-type RNA-binding protein HuR was identified within the p21 mRNA-protein complexes, as antibodies recognizing HuR supershifted these complexes and revealed HuR-immunoreactive proteins complexing with p21 mRNA on Western blots. Lowering of endogenous HuR levels through expression of antisense HuR decreased p21 RNA-protein complexes, greatly reduced the UVC inducibility and half-life of p21 mRNA, and prevented UVC-mediated induction of luciferase activity in p21 3′ untranslated region-containing reporter constructs. Our findings indicate that HuR plays a major role in regulating stress-induced p21 expression by enhancing p21 mRNA stability and that these effects are coupled to HuRs elevated presence in the cytoplasm.

HuR regulates cyclin A and cyclin B1 mRNA stability during cell proliferation

Colorectal carcinoma RKO cells expressing reduced levels of the RNA‐binding protein HuR (ASHuR) displayed markedly reduced growth. In synchronous RKO populations, HuR was almost exclusively nuclear during early G1, increasing in the cytoplasm during late G1, S and G2. The expression and half‐life of mRNAs encoding cyclins A and B1 similarly increased during S and G2, then declined, indicating that mRNA stabilization contributed to their cell cycle‐regulated expression. In gel‐shift assays using radiolabeled cyclin RNA transcripts and RKO protein extracts, only those transcripts corresponding to the 3′‐untranslated regions of cyclins A and B1 formed RNA–protein complexes in a cell cycle‐dependent fashion. HuR directly bound mRNAs encoding cyclins A and B1, as anti‐HuR antibodies supershifted such RNA–protein complexes. Importantly, the expression and half‐life of mRNAs encoding cyclins A and B1 were reduced in ASHuR RKO cells. Our results indicate that HuR may play a critical role in cell proliferation, at least in part by mediating cell cycle‐dependent stabilization of mRNAs encoding cyclins A and B1.

Global analysis of stress-regulated mRNA turnover by using cDNA arrays

cDNA array technology has proven to be a powerful way to monitor global changes in gene expression patterns. Here, we present an approach that extends the current utility of cDNA arrays to allow the evaluation of the relative roles of transcription and mRNA turnover in governing gene expression on a global basis, compared with current individual gene-by-gene analyses. This method, which involves comparison of large-scale hybridization patterns generated with steady-state mRNA versus newly transcribed (nuclear run-on) RNA, was used to demonstrate the importance of mRNA turnover in regulating gene expression following several conditions of stress.

AMP-activated kinase regulates cytoplasmic HuR.

ABSTRACT While transport of RNA-binding protein HuR from nucleus to cytoplasm is emerging as a key regulatory step for HuR function, the mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here, we report that the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), an enzyme involved in responding to metabolic stresses, potently regulates the levels of cytoplasmic HuR. Inhibition of AMPK, accomplished either through cell treatment or by adenovirus infection to express dominant-negative AMPK, was found to increase the level of HuR in the cytoplasm and to enhance the binding of HuR to p21, cyclin B1, and cyclin A mRNA transcripts and elevate their expression and half-lives. Conversely, AMPK activation, achieved by means including infection to express constitutively active AMPK, resulted in reduced cytoplasmic HuR; decreased levels and half-lives of mRNAs encoding p21, cyclin A, and cyclin B1; and diminished HuR association with the corresponding transcripts. We therefore propose a novel function for AMPK as a regulator of cytoplasmic HuR levels, which in turn influences the mRNA-stabilizing function of HuR and the expression of HuR target transcripts.

Down-regulation of cyclin D1 expression by prostaglandin A(2) is mediated by enhanced cyclin D1 mRNA turnover.

ABSTRACT Prostaglandin A2 (PGA2), an experimental chemotherapeutic agent, causes growth arrest associated with decreased cyclin D1 expression in several cancer cell lines. Here, using human non-small-cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells, we investigated the mechanisms whereby PGA2 down-regulates cyclin D1 expression. Transcription rates of the cyclin D1 gene, studied using a cyclin D1 promoter-luciferase construct and nuclear run-on assays, were not affected by PGA2 treatment. Instead, the cyclin D1 mRNA was rendered unstable after exposure to PGA2. Since the stability of labile mRNA is modulated through binding of proteins to specific mRNA sequences, we sought to identify protein(s) recognizing the cyclin D1 mRNA. In electrophoretic mobility-shift assays using radiolabeled RNA probes derived from different regions of cyclin D1 mRNA, we observed that (i) lysates prepared from PGA2-treated cells exhibited enhanced protein-cyclin D1 RNA complex formation; (ii) the kinetics of complex formation correlated closely with that of cyclin D1 mRNA loss; and (iii) binding occurred within a 390-base cyclin D1 3′ untranslated region (UTR) (K12). This binding activity could be cross-linked, revealing proteins ranging from 30 to 47 kDa. The RNA-binding protein AUF1, previously associated with the degradation of target mRNAs, bound cyclin D1 mRNA, because anti-AUF1 antibodies were capable of supershifting or immunoprecipitating cyclin D1 mRNA-protein complexes. Finally, insertion of K12 in the 3′UTR of reporter genes markedly reduced the expression and half-life of the resulting chimeric mRNAs in transfected, PGA2-treated cells. Our data demonstrate that PGA2 down-regulates cyclin D1 expression by decreasing cyclin D1 mRNA stability and implicates a 390-base element in the 3′UTR in this regulation.

Loss of HuR Is Linked to Reduced Expression of Proliferative Genes during Replicative Senescence

ABSTRACT Cellular aging is accompanied by alterations in gene expression patterns. Here, using two models of replicative senescence, we describe the influence of the RNA-binding protein HuR in regulating the expression of several genes whose expression decreases during senescence. We demonstrate that HuR levels, HuR binding to target mRNAs encoding proliferative genes, and the half-lives of such mRNAs are lower in senescent cells. Importantly, overexpression of HuR in senescent cells restored a “younger” phenotype, while a reduction in HuR expression accentuated the senescent phenotype. Our studies highlight a critical role for HuR during the process of replicative senescence.

Influence of the RNA-Binding Protein HuR in pVHL-Regulated p53 Expression in Renal Carcinoma Cells

ABSTRACT A recent analysis of gene expression in renal cell carcinoma cells led to the identification of mRNAs whose translation was dependent on the presence of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene product, pVHL. Here, we investigate the finding that pVHL-expressing RCC cells (VHL+) exhibited elevated levels of polysome-associated p53 mRNA and increased p53 protein levels compared with VHL-defective (VHL−) cells. Our findings indicate that p53 translation is specifically heightened in VHL+ cells, given that (i) p53 mRNA abundance in VHL+ and VHL− cells was comparable, (ii) p53 degradation did not significantly influence p53 expression, and (iii) p53 synthesis was markedly induced in VHL+ cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift and immunoprecipitation assays to detect endogenous and radiolabeled p53 transcripts revealed that the RNA-binding protein HuR, previously shown to regulate mRNA turnover and translation, was capable of binding to the 3′ untranslated region of the p53 mRNA in a VHL-dependent fashion. Interestingly, while whole-cell levels of HuR in VHL+ and VHL− cells were comparable, HuR was markedly more abundant in the cytoplasmic and polysome-associated fractions of VHL+ cells. In keeping with earlier reports, the elevated cytoplasmic HuR in VHL+ cells was likely due to the reduced AMP-activated kinase activity in these cells. Demonstration that HuR indeed contributed to the increased expression of p53 in VHL+ cells was obtained through use of RNA interference, which effectively reduced HuR expression and in turn caused marked decreases in p53 translation and p53 abundance. Taken together, our findings support a role for pVHL in elevating p53 expression, implicate HuR in enhancing VHL-mediated p53 translation, and suggest that VHL-mediated p53 upregulation may contribute to pVHLs tumor suppressive functions in renal cell carcinoma.

HuR Uses AUF1 as a Cofactor To Promote p16INK4 mRNA Decay

ABSTRACT In this study, we show that HuR destabilizes p16INK4 mRNA. Although the knockdown of HuR or AUF1 increased p16 expression, concomitant AUF1 and HuR knockdown had a much weaker effect. The knockdown of Ago2, a component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), stabilized p16 mRNA. The knockdown of HuR diminished the association of the p16 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) with AUF1 and vice versa. While the knockdown of HuR or AUF1 reduced the association of Ago2 with the p16 3′UTR, Ago2 knockdown had no influence on HuR or AUF1 binding to the p16 3′UTR. The use of EGFP-p16 chimeric reporter transcripts revealed that p16 mRNA decay depended on a stem-loop structure present in the p16 3′UTR, as HuR and AUF1 destabilized EGFP-derived chimeric transcripts bearing wild-type sequences but not transcripts with mutations in the stem-loop structure. In senescent and HuR-silenced IDH4 human diploid fibroblasts, the EGFP-p16 3′UTR transcript was more stable. Our results suggest that HuR destabilizes p16 mRNA by recruiting the RISC, an effect that depends on the secondary structure of the p16 3′UTR and requires AUF1 as a cofactor.

Increased stability of the p16 mRNA with replicative senescence

Expression of p16INK4a is elevated during ageing and replicative senescence. Here, we report the presence of an instability determinant within the 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) of the p16 messenger RNA in WI‐38 human diploid fibroblasts. The p16 3′UTR was found to be a specific target of AUF1, an RNA‐binding protein implicated in promoting mRNA decay. Both AUF1 levels and AUF1–p16 mRNA associations were strikingly more abundant in early‐passage than late‐passage fibroblast cultures. Moreover, short interfering RNA‐based reductions in AUF1 levels increased the stability of p16 3′UTR‐containing transcripts, elevated the expression of p16 and accentuated the senescence phenotype. Together, our findings show that p16 mRNA turnover decreases during replicative senescence and that the instability‐conferring region is located within the 3′UTR of p16, as well as identifying AUF1 as a critical mediator of these regulatory events.

Reduced nuclear export of HuR mRNA by HuR is linked to the loss of HuR in replicative senescence

The RNA-binding protein, HuR, associates with the HuR mRNA, but the consequences of this interaction are unknown. Here, we use human diploid fibroblasts (HDFs) and cervical carcinoma cells to study this regulatory paradigm. Ectopic overexpression of HuR potently enhanced the translation and cytoplasmic levels of endogenous HuR, but did not affect HuR mRNA levels. Inhibition of CRM1 function by Lemptomycin B or by knockdown of CRM1 greatly diminished the cytoplasmic levels of endogenous HuR mRNA and hence blocked the induction of endogenous HuR by exogenous HuR. Further studies showed that HuR interacted with the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of HuR and that overexpression of HuR increased the cytoplasmic levels of a chimeric luciferase-HuR 3′-UTR reporter transcript, as well as luciferase activity; conversely, HuR knockdown reduced both parameters. Moreover, the loss of HuR in senescent, late-passage HDFs was accompanied by a reduced cytoplasmic presence of endogenous HuR mRNA, ectopic Luc-HuR-3′UTR reporter transcript, and luciferase activity relative to what was observed in young, early-passage cells. Our results reveal a positive feedback mechanism for the regulation of HuR, which may play an important role in the regulation of HuR during replicative senescence.