Downloaded from rnajournal.cshlp.org on October 6, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Research Article (Revised) Tob2 phosphorylation regulates global mRNA turnover to reshape transcriptome and impact cell proliferation Chyi-Ying A. Chen1, Krista Strouz1, Kai-Lieh Huang1, 2, and Ann-Bin Shyu1, * 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, McGovern Medical School The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030 Running Title: Tob2-promoted deadenylation reshapes transcriptome Keywords: mRNA turnover, deadenylation, transcriptome programming, PABP interaction, Ccr4-Not complex, phosphorylation 2Current Address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77550 *Corresponding author: Tel: (713) 500-6068; Fax: (713) 500-0652; E-mail address: Ann-
[email protected]. Downloaded from rnajournal.cshlp.org on October 6, 2021 - Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press Abstract Tob2, an anti-proliferative protein, promotes deadenylation through recruiting Caf1 deadenylase to the mRNA poly(A) tail by simultaneously interacting with both Caf1 and poly(A)-binding protein (PABP). Previously, we found that changes in Tob2 phosphorylation can alter its PABP- binding ability and deadenylation-promoting function. However, it remained unknown regarding the relevant kinase(s). Moreover, it was unclear whether Tob2 phosphorylation modulates the transcriptome and whether the phosphorylation is linked to Tob2’s anti-proliferative function. In this study, we found that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) increases phosphorylation of Tob2 at many Ser/Thr sites in the intrinsically disordered region (IDR) that contains two separate PABP- interacting PAM2 motifs. JNK-induced phosphorylation or phosphomimetic mutations at these sites weaken the Tob2-PABP interaction.