Downloaded from rnajournal.cshlp.org on September 28, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Genes with 5′ terminal oligopyrimidine tracts preferentially escape global suppression of translation by the SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 protein Shilpa Raoa, Ian Hoskinsa, Tori Tonna, P. Daniela Garciaa, Hakan Ozadama, Elif Sarinay Cenika, Can Cenika,1 a Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA 1Corresponding author:
[email protected] Key words: SARS-CoV-2, Nsp1, MeTAFlow, translation, ribosome profiling, RNA-Seq, 5′ TOP, Ribo-Seq, gene expression 1 Downloaded from rnajournal.cshlp.org on September 28, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Abstract Viruses rely on the host translation machinery to synthesize their own proteins. Consequently, they have evolved varied mechanisms to co-opt host translation for their survival. SARS-CoV-2 relies on a non-structural protein, Nsp1, for shutting down host translation. However, it is currently unknown how viral proteins and host factors critical for viral replication can escape a global shutdown of host translation. Here, using a novel FACS-based assay called MeTAFlow, we report a dose-dependent reduction in both nascent protein synthesis and mRNA abundance in cells expressing Nsp1. We perform RNA-Seq and matched ribosome profiling experiments to identify gene-specific changes both at the mRNA expression and translation level. We discover that a functionally-coherent subset of human genes are preferentially translated in the context of Nsp1 expression. These genes include the translation machinery components, RNA binding proteins, and others important for viral pathogenicity. Importantly, we uncovered a remarkable enrichment of 5′ terminal oligo-pyrimidine (TOP) tracts among preferentially translated genes.