Aedes aegypti Piwi4 Structural Features Are Necessary for RNA Binding and Nuclear Localization.
Int J Mol Sci
; 22(23)2021 Nov 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34884537
ABSTRACT
The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway provides an RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism known from Drosophila studies to maintain the integrity of the germline genome by silencing transposable elements (TE). Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which are the key vectors of several arthropod-borne viruses, exhibit an expanded repertoire of Piwi proteins involved in the piRNA pathway, suggesting functional divergence. Here, we investigate RNA-binding dynamics and subcellular localization of A. aegypti Piwi4 (AePiwi4), a Piwi protein involved in antiviral immunity and embryonic development, to better understand its function. We found that AePiwi4 PAZ (Piwi/Argonaute/Zwille), the domain that binds the 3' ends of piRNAs, bound to mature (3' 2' O-methylated) and unmethylated RNAs with similar micromolar affinities (KD = 1.7 ± 0.8 µM and KD of 5.0 ± 2.2 µM, respectively; p = 0.05) in a sequence independent manner. Through site-directed mutagenesis studies, we identified highly conserved residues involved in RNA binding and found that subtle changes in the amino acids flanking the binding pocket across PAZ proteins have significant impacts on binding behaviors, likely by impacting the protein secondary structure. We also analyzed AePiwi4 subcellular localization in mosquito tissues. We found that the protein is both cytoplasmic and nuclear, and we identified an AePiwi4 nuclear localization signal (NLS) in the N-terminal region of the protein. Taken together, these studies provide insights on the dynamic role of AePiwi4 in RNAi and pave the way for future studies aimed at understanding Piwi interactions with diverse RNA populations.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Elementos de DNA Transponíveis
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Núcleo Celular
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Proteínas de Insetos
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RNA Interferente Pequeno
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Proteínas Argonautas
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos