Mrna Turnover Philip Mitchell* and David Tollervey†
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320 mRNA turnover Philip Mitchell* and David Tollervey† Nuclear RNA-binding proteins can record pre-mRNA are cotransported to the cytoplasm with the mRNP. These processing events in the structure of messenger proteins may preserve a record of the nuclear history of the ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs). During initial rounds of pre-mRNA in the cytoplasmic mRNP structure. This infor- translation, the mature mRNP structure is established and is mation can strongly influence the cytoplasmic fate of the monitored by mRNA surveillance systems. Competition for the mRNA and is used by mRNA surveillance systems that act cap structure links translation and subsequent mRNA as a checkpoint of mRNP integrity, particularly in the identi- degradation, which may also involve multiple deadenylases. fication of premature translation termination codons (PTCs). Addresses Cotransport of nuclear mRNA-binding proteins with mRNA Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, ICMB, University of Edinburgh, from the nucleus to the cytoplasm (nucleocytoplasmic shut- Kings’ Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, UK tling) was first observed for the heterogeneous nuclear *e-mail: [email protected] ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) proteins. Some hnRNP proteins †e-mail: [email protected] are stripped from the mRNA at export [1], but hnRNP A1, Current Opinion in Cell Biology 2001, 13:320–325 A2, E, I and K are all exported (see [2]). Although roles for 0955-0674/01/$ — see front matter these hnRNP proteins in transport and translation have been © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. reported [3•,4•], their affects on mRNA stability have been little studied. More is known about hnRNP D/AUF1 and Abbreviations AREs AU-rich sequence elements another nuclear RNA-binding protein, HuR, which act CBC cap-binding complex antagonistically to modulate the stability of a range of DAN deadenylating nuclease mRNAs containing AU-rich sequence elements (AREs) DSEs downstream sequence elements (reviewed in [2]). Several additional transcripts regulated by hnRNP heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein these factors have been reported over the past year (see, for mRNPs messenger ribonucleoprotein particles nt nucleotides example, [5,6]). A mutant form of hnRNP D that binds to PTCs premature translation termination codons AREs but does not localize to the nucleus fails to stimulate STEs stabilizing elements degradation, indicating that association with the nuclear pre- uORFs upstream open reading frames mRNA is required for its effects on mRNA metabolism UTR untranslated region (A-B Shyu, personal communication). Introduction A recently identified family of proteins that binds to HuR mRNA turnover plays an important role in the regulation of [7] may stimulate its interaction with nuclear AREs and gene expression, affecting both the total amount of protein promote the nuclear export of the mRNP via CRM1. HuR that can be synthesized from a given level of transcription expression in trypanosomes stabilizes developmentally reg- and the time that translation continues. It has long been ulated mRNAs containing AREs (L Quijada, C Hartmann, appreciated that the structure of the messenger ribonucle- C Clayton, personal communication), suggesting that ARE- oprotein particle (mRNP) complex is likely to play an mediated degradation is conserved among eukaryotes. important role in both translation and mRNA stability. Although the RNP structures remain poorly characterized, The recognition of PTCs during mRNA surveillance in recent data have started to shed some light on these mammalian cells is dependent upon pre-mRNA splicing. processes. It was also clear that there is a close relationship Introns are rarely found in the 3′ untranslated regions between the translational status of mRNAs and their rates (3′UTRs) of transcripts, and an exon junction (the position of degradation. Translation initiation factors, the decapping of a former intron) positioned more than about 50 enzyme complex and a deadenylase have now been shown nucleotides (nt) downstream from the translation termina- to compete for the cap structure, and multiple interactions tion codon causes this to be read as premature termination between these factors have been reported that may deter- site, triggering rapid mRNA degradation. Thus, for exon mine the outcome of this competition. Finally, the activity junctions to be recognized during translation, splicing must in yeast that removes the poly(A) tail — the rate limiting mark them in some way [8]. A good candidate marker is the step in the degradation of most mRNAs — has long been large (~335 kDa) (also known as the 20–24 complex) that sought and may now have been identified. We will attempt associates with the mRNA 20 to 24nt upstream from the to provide an overview of these developments. splice junction, probably at a late stage during the splicing reaction [9••,10•,11••,12,13•]. This complex includes the The burden of history: nuclear pre-mRNA splicing factors SRm160, DEK and RNPS1, the shuttling processing imprints mRNAs protein Y14 and the mRNA export factor REF/Aly. It is not Recent work has demonstrated that many diverse RNA- clear whether all these proteins accompany the mRNP into binding proteins associate with the nuclear pre-mRNA and the cytoplasm, but both Y14 and REF/Aly are exported. mRNA turnover Mitchell and Tollervey 321 Figure 1 (a) CBC m7G AAAAAAAAA Pre-mRNA splicing PABP CBC m7G Mark Mark Mark AAAAAAAAA Nucleocytoplasmic export PABP (b) CBC eIF4G AUG m7G Mark Mark Mark AAAAAAAAA Translation initiation 80S Wild-type mRNA PTC mRNA Translation elongation (c) RFSC PABP RFSC PABP CBC eIF4GAUG UAA CBC eIF4G AUG UAA m G 7 AAAAAAAAAm7G AAAAAAAAA 80S 80S Replacement of CBC by eIF4E mRNA surveillance detects Translation reinitation downstream exon junction mRNP circularisation marker (d) (e) AUG eIF4G SC PABP 4E CBC AUG m7G m7G AAAAAAAAA eIF4G AA Decapping and degradation AA PABP AA UAA AAA Decapping AUG complex eIF4G m7G SC AAA AAA AA A PABP Current Opinion in Cell Biology Models for mRNA surveillance. (a) Nuclear assembly and processing correct marker proteins are encountered the mature mRNP structure is generates complex RNPs. Exon junction markers are indicated. formed. eIF4E replaces CBC and the interaction between PABP and (b) Upon export from the nucleus, eIF4G binds to the CBC and eIF4G circularizes the mRNA. (e) Interaction of the surveillance translation is initiated. (c) During elongation, marker proteins located complex with inappropriate proteins triggers decapping and rapid within the ORF are dissociated. Upon translation termination, Upf1p is degradation. Upf2 and 3p may assemble with Upf1p before scanning recruited by the release factors (RF) and a surveillance complex (SC) or only after scanning is inhibited at the mark. that includes Upf1p then translocates through the 3′ UTR. (d) If only Pre-mRNA splicing requires other shuttling proteins, when the intron is deleted [15,16]. SR-proteins and other including the U2AF35–U2AF65 heterodimer and members factors bound to nearby ESEs are good candidates for this of the family of SR-proteins [14,15]. SR-proteins bind to fail-safe signal. sites, including exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) sequences, located close to the splice site. ‘Fail-safe’ sequences locat- Analyses in yeast have identified three proteins — ed around splice sites can trigger mRNA surveillance even Upf1p, Upf2p and Upf3p — that play a key role in 322 Nucleus and gene expression mRNA surveillance. Functional homologues have recent- presence of stabilizing elements (STEs) located between ly been characterized in humans (hUpf1p/RENT, the uORF and the major coding region [29,30]. These hUpf2p and hUpf3p) and Caenorhabditis elegans (smg-2, STEs bind to Pub1p [31••], an HuR-related protein that smg-3 and smg-4) [17••,18,19•]. Upf1p is more abundant presumably antagonizes DSE/Hrp1p-mediated decapping than Upf2p and Upf3p and functions directly in the ter- and degradation. Pub1p is a major nuclear RNA-binding mination of translation [20]. Unlike yeast, mammalian protein and is likely to be transported to the cytoplasm Upf1p appears to be essential for the viability of both with the mRNA. Even in human mRNAs, not all markers embryos and isolated blastocysts [21]. arise through splicing. An hnRNP complex bound within the c-fos ORF inhibits deadenylation until displaced by The three Upf proteins copurify from extracts of yeast and translation [32•]. human cell extracts, and the yeast mutants have identical phenotypes in mRNA surveillance, indicating that they Never like the first time: a privileged initial function as a complex. Consistent with this, tethering any round of translation of the hUpf proteins within the 3′ UTR of wild-type β-glo- Newly exported mRNAs have an RNP structure distinct bin mRNA, more than 50nt beyond the termination codon, from the ‘mature’ mRNP and may undergo an initial round triggered mRNA surveillance [17••]. Surprisingly, the of translation that is substantially different from the sub- human Upf proteins did not colocalize using immunofluo- sequent translation. During this initial round, the rescence [17••,19••]. hUpf1p is cytoplasmic, whereas hUpf2 7-methylguanosine cap carries the nuclear cap-binding is restricted to a region closely surrounding the nucleus. complex (CBC), a Cbp20p–Cbp80p dimer, which may be hUpf3p is a nucleocytoplasmic-shuttling protein that asso- exported with the mRNA [33•]. Furthermore, the mRNA ciates with nuclear mRNA in a splicing-dependent manner is decorated by many protein complexes marking splice [17••,] and is therefore another candidate marker for exon sites and other sites of hnRNP assembly. CBC interacts junctions. The Upf complex that mediates mRNA surveil- with the translation initiation factor eIF4G and can lance is likely to be present at the overlap of these promote initiation of translation [33•]. During the initial distributions, in the perinuclear region. Here, hUpf2p may translation, the mRNP structure is substantially remod- interact with hUpf3p bound to newly exported mRNP and eled; nuclear proteins bound within the ORF are displaced with hUpf1p recruited to the mRNA by the translation and rapidly reimported, allowing the major protein signals release factors.