Pathogenic signal peptide variants in the human genome.

Secreted and membrane proteins represent a third of all cellular proteins and contain N-terminal signal peptides that are required for protein targeting to endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Mutations in signal peptides affect protein targeting, translocation, processing, and stability, and are associated with human diseases. However, only a few of them have been identified or characterized. In this report, we identified pathogenic signal peptide variants across the human genome using bioinformatic analyses and predicted the molecular mechanisms of their pathology. We recovered more than 65 thousand signal peptide mutations, over 11 thousand we classified as pathogenic, and proposed framework for distinction of their molecular mechanisms. The pathogenic mutations affect over 3.3 thousand genes coding for secreted and membrane proteins. Most pathogenic mutations alter the signal peptide hydrophobic core, a critical recognition region for the signal recognition particle, potentially activating the Regulation of Aberrant Protein Production (RAPP) quality control and specific mRNA degradation. The remaining pathogenic variants (about 25%) alter either the N-terminal region or signal peptidase processing site that can result in translocation deficiencies at the ER membrane or inhibit protein processing. This work provides a conceptual framework for the identification of mutations across the genome and their connection with human disease.

Molecular Mechanisms of Persistence in Protozoan Parasites.

Protozoan parasites are known for their remarkable capacity to persist within the bodies of vertebrate hosts, which frequently results in prolonged infections and the recurrence of diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie the event of persistence is of paramount significance to develop innovative therapeutic approaches, given that these pathways still need to be thoroughly elucidated. The present article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in the investigation of protozoan persistence in vertebrate hosts. The focus is primarily on the function of persisters, their formation within the host, and the specific molecular interactions between host and parasite while they persist. Additionally, we examine the metabolomic, transcriptional, and translational changes that protozoan parasites undergo during persistence within vertebrate hosts, focusing on major parasites such as Plasmodium spp., Trypanosoma spp., Leishmania spp., and Toxoplasma spp. Key findings of our study suggest that protozoan parasites deploy several molecular and physiological strategies to evade the host immune surveillance and sustain their persistence. Furthermore, some parasites undergo stage differentiation, enabling them to acclimate to varying host environments and immune challenges. More often, stressors such as drug exposure were demonstrated to impact the formation of protozoan persisters significantly. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the persistence of protozoan parasites in vertebrate hosts can reinvigorate our current insights into host-parasite interactions and facilitate the development of more efficacious disease therapeutics.

Translational reprogramming as a driver of antimony-drug resistance in Leishmania.

Leishmania is a unicellular protozoan that has a limited transcriptional control and mostly uses post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, although the molecular mechanisms of the process are still poorly understood. Treatments of leishmaniasis, pathologies associated with Leishmania infections, are limited due to drug resistance. Here, we report dramatic differences in mRNA translation in antimony drug-resistant and sensitive strains at the full translatome level. The major differences (2431 differentially translated transcripts) were demonstrated in the absence of the drug pressure supporting that complex preemptive adaptations are needed to efficiently compensate for the loss of biological fitness once they are exposed to the antimony. In contrast, drug-resistant parasites exposed to antimony activated a highly selective translation of only 156 transcripts. This selective mRNA translation is associated with surface protein rearrangement, optimized energy metabolism, amastins upregulation, and improved antioxidant response. We propose a novel model that establishes translational control as a major driver of antimony-resistant phenotypes in Leishmania.

Ribosome Specialization in Protozoa Parasites.

Ribosomes, in general, are viewed as constitutive macromolecular machines where protein synthesis takes place; however, this view has been recently challenged, supporting the hypothesis of ribosome specialization and opening a completely new field of research. Recent studies have demonstrated that ribosomes are heterogenous in their nature and can provide another layer of gene expression control by regulating translation. Heterogeneities in ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins that compose them favor the selective translation of different sub-pools of mRNAs and functional specialization. In recent years, the heterogeneity and specialization of ribosomes have been widely reported in different eukaryotic study models; however, few reports on this topic have been made on protozoa and even less on protozoa parasites of medical importance. This review analyzes heterogeneities of ribosomes in protozoa parasites highlighting the specialization in their functions and their importance in parasitism, in the transition between stages in their life cycle, in the change of host and in response to environmental conditions.

Specialized Ribosomes in Health and Disease.

Ribosomal heterogeneity exists within cells and between different cell types, at specific developmental stages, and occurs in response to environmental stimuli. Mounting evidence supports the existence of specialized ribosomes, or specific changes to the ribosome that regulate the translation of a specific group of transcripts. These alterations have been shown to affect the affinity of ribosomes for certain mRNAs or change the cotranslational folding of nascent polypeptides at the exit tunnel. The identification of specialized ribosomes requires evidence of the incorporation of different ribosomal proteins or of modifications to rRNA and/or protein that lead(s) to physiologically relevant changes in translation. In this review, we summarize ribosomal heterogeneity and specialization in mammals and discuss their relevance to several human diseases.

Defective Human SRP Induces Protein Quality Control and Triggers Stress Response.

Regulation of Aberrant Protein Production (RAPP) is a protein quality control in mammalian cells. RAPP degrades mRNAs of nascent proteins not able to associate with their natural interacting partners during synthesis at the ribosome. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of the pathway, its substrates, or its specificity. The Signal Recognition Particle (SRP) is the first interacting partner for secretory proteins. It recognizes signal sequences of the nascent polypeptides when they are exposed from the ribosomal exit tunnel. Here, we reveal the generality of the RAPP pathway on the whole transcriptome level through depletion of human SRP54, an SRP subunit. This depletion triggers RAPP and leads to decreased expression of the mRNAs encoding a number of secretory and membrane proteins. The loss of SRP54 also leads to the dramatic upregulation of a specific network of HSP70/40/90 chaperones (HSPA1A, DNAJB1, HSP90AA1, and others), increased ribosome associated ubiquitination, and change in expression of RPS27 and RPS27L suggesting ribosome rearrangement. These results demonstrate the complex nature of defects in protein trafficking, mRNA and protein quality control, and provide better understanding of their mechanisms at the ribosome.

Unexpected Role of Sterol Synthesis in RNA Stability and Translation in Leishmania.

Leishmania parasites are trypanosomatid protozoans that cause leishmaniasis affecting millions of people worldwide. Sterols are important components of the plasma and organellar membranes. They also serve as precursors for the synthesis of signaling molecules. Unlike animals, Leishmania does not synthesize cholesterol but makes ergostane-based sterols instead. C-14-demethylase is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of sterols and an important drug target. In Leishmania parasites, the inactivation of C-14-demethylase leads to multiple defects, including increased plasma membrane fluidity, mitochondrion dysfunction, hypersensitivity to stress and reduced virulence. In this study, we revealed a novel role for sterol synthesis in the maintenance of RNA stability and translation. Sterol alteration in C-14-demethylase knockout mutant leads to increased RNA degradation, reduced translation and impaired heat shock response. Thus, sterol biosynthesis in Leishmania plays an unexpected role in global gene regulation.

Metabolite Biomarkers of Leishmania Antimony Resistance.

Leishmania parasites cause leishmaniasis, one of the most epidemiologically important neglected tropical diseases. Leishmania exhibits a high ability of developing drug resistance, and drug resistance is one of the main threats to public health, as it is associated with increased incidence, mortality, and healthcare costs. The antimonial drug is the main historically implemented drug for leishmaniasis. Nevertheless, even though antimony resistance has been widely documented, the mechanisms involved are not completely understood. In this study, we aimed to identify potential metabolite biomarkers of antimony resistance that could improve leishmaniasis treatment. Here, using L. tropica promastigotes as the biological model, we showed that the level of response to antimony can be potentially predicted using 1H-NMR-based metabolomic profiling. Antimony-resistant parasites exhibited differences in metabolite composition at the intracellular and extracellular levels, suggesting that a metabolic remodeling is required to combat the drug. Simple and time-saving exometabolomic analysis can be efficiently used for the differentiation of sensitive and resistant parasites. Our findings suggest that changes in metabolite composition are associated with an optimized response to the osmotic/oxidative stress and a rearrangement of carbon-energy metabolism. The activation of energy metabolism can be linked to the high energy requirement during the antioxidant stress response. We also found that metabolites such as proline and lactate change linearly with the level of resistance to antimony, showing a close relationship with the parasite's efficiency of drug resistance. A list of potential metabolite biomarkers is described and discussed.

Drug-Induced Lipid Remodeling in Leishmania Parasites.

Leishmania parasites efficiently develop resistance against several types of drugs including antimonials, the primary antileishmanial drug historically implemented. The resistance to antimonials is considered to be a major risk factor for effective leishmaniasis treatment. To detect biomarkers/biopatterns for the differentiation of antimony-resistant Leishmania strains, we employed untargeted global mass spectrometry to identify intracellular lipids present in antimony sensitive and resistant parasites before and after antimony exposure. The lipidomic profiles effectively differentiated the sensitive and resistant phenotypes growing with and without antimony pressure. Resistant phenotypes were characterized by significant downregulation of phosphatidylcholines, sphingolipid decrease, and lysophosphatidylcholine increase, while sensitive phenotypes were characterized by the upregulation of triglycerides with long-chain fatty acids and a tendency toward the phosphatidylethanolamine decrease. Our findings suggest that the changes in lipid composition in antimony-resistant parasites contribute to the physiological response conducted to combat the oxidative stress unbalance caused by the drug. We have identified several lipids as potential biomarkers associated with the drug resistance.

Regulation of Translation in the Protozoan Parasite Leishmania.

Leishmaniasis represents a serious health problem worldwide and drug resistance is a growing concern. Leishmania parasites use unusual mechanisms to control their gene expression. In contrast to many other species, they do not have transcriptional regulation. The lack of transcriptional control is mainly compensated by post-transcriptional mechanisms, including tight translational control and regulation of mRNA stability/translatability by RNA-binding proteins. Modulation of translation plays a major role in parasite survival and adaptation to dramatically different environments during change of host; however, our knowledge of fine molecular mechanisms of translation in Leishmania remains limited. Here, we review the current progress in our understanding of how changes in the translational machinery promote parasite differentiation during transmission from a sand fly to a mammalian host, and discuss how translational reprogramming can contribute to the development of drug resistance.

Translational Control of Secretory Proteins in Health and Disease.

Secretory proteins are synthesized in a form of precursors with additional sequences at their N-terminal ends called signal peptides. The signal peptides are recognized co-translationally by signal recognition particle (SRP). This interaction leads to targeting to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and translocation of the nascent chains into the ER lumen. It was demonstrated recently that in addition to a targeting function, SRP has a novel role in protection of secretory protein mRNAs from degradation. It was also found that the quality of secretory proteins is controlled by the recently discovered Regulation of Aberrant Protein Production (RAPP) pathway. RAPP monitors interactions of polypeptide nascent chains during their synthesis on the ribosomes and specifically degrades their mRNAs if these interactions are abolished due to mutations in the nascent chains or defects in the targeting factor. It was demonstrated that pathological RAPP activation is one of the molecular mechanisms of human diseases associated with defects in the secretory proteins. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding of translational control of secretory protein biogenesis on the ribosome and pathological consequences of its dysregulation in human diseases.

Silencing of Aberrant Secretory Protein Expression by Disease-Associated Mutations.

Signal recognition particle (SRP) recognizes signal sequences of secretory proteins and targets them to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane for translocation. Many human diseases are connected with defects in signal sequences. The current dogma states that the molecular basis of the disease-associated mutations in the secretory proteins is connected with defects in their transport. Here, we demonstrate for several secretory proteins with disease-associated mutations that the molecular mechanism is different from the dogma. Positively charged or helix-breaking mutations in the signal sequence hydrophobic core prevent synthesis of the aberrant proteins and lead to degradation of their mRNAs. The degree of mRNA depletion depends on the location and severity of the mutation in the signal sequence and correlates with inhibition of SRP interaction. Thus, SRP protects secretory protein mRNAs from degradation. The data demonstrate that if disease-associated mutations obstruct SRP interaction, they lead to silencing of the mutated protein expression.

Lost in Translation: Ribosome-Associated mRNA and Protein Quality Controls.

Aberrant, misfolded, and mislocalized proteins are often toxic to cells and result in many human diseases. All proteins and their mRNA templates are subject to quality control. There are several distinct mechanisms that control the quality of mRNAs and proteins during translation at the ribosome. mRNA quality control systems, nonsense-mediated decay, non-stop decay, and no-go decay detect premature stop codons, the absence of a natural stop codon, and stalled ribosomes in translation, respectively, and degrade their mRNAs. Defective truncated polypeptide nascent chains generated from faulty mRNAs are degraded by ribosome-associated protein quality control pathways. Regulation of aberrant protein production, a novel pathway, senses aberrant proteins by monitoring the status of nascent chain interactions during translation and triggers degradation of their mRNA. Here, we review the current progress in understanding of the molecular mechanisms of mRNA and protein quality controls at the ribosome during translation.

Polysome Profiling in Leishmania, Human Cells and Mouse Testis.

Proper protein expression at the right time and in the right amounts is the basis of normal cell function and survival in a fast-changing environment. For a long time, the gene expression studies were dominated by research on the transcriptional level. However, the steady-state levels of mRNAs do not correlate well with protein production, and the translatability of mRNAs varies greatly depending on the conditions. In some organisms, like the parasite Leishmania, the protein expression is regulated mostly at the translational level. Recent studies demonstrated that protein translation dysregulation is associated with cancer, metabolic, neurodegenerative and other human diseases. Polysome profiling is a powerful method to study protein translation regulation. It allows to measure the translational status of individual mRNAs or examine translation on a genome-wide scale. The basis of this technique is the separation of polysomes, ribosomes, their subunits and free mRNAs during centrifugation of a cytoplasmic lysate through a sucrose gradient. Here, we present a universal polysome profiling protocol used on three different models - parasite Leishmania major, cultured human cells and animal tissues. Leishmania cells freely grow in suspension and cultured human cells grow in adherent monolayer, while mouse testis represents an animal tissue sample. Thus, the technique is adapted to all of these sources. The protocol for the analysis of polysomal fractions includes detection of individual mRNA levels by RT-qPCR, proteins by Western blot and analysis of ribosomal RNAs by electrophoresis. The method can be further extended by examination of mRNAs association with the ribosome on a transcriptome level by deep RNA-seq and analysis of ribosome-associated proteins by mass spectroscopy of the fractions. The method can be easily adjusted to other biological models.

Genome-wide siRNA screen reveals coupling between mitotic apoptosis and adaptation.

The antimitotic anti-cancer drugs, including taxol, perturb spindle dynamics, and induce prolonged, spindle checkpoint-dependent mitotic arrest in cancer cells. These cells then either undergo apoptosis triggered by the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway or exit mitosis without proper cell division in an adaptation pathway. Using a genome-wide small interfering RNA (siRNA) screen in taxol-treated HeLa cells, we systematically identify components of the mitotic apoptosis and adaptation pathways. We show that the Mad2 inhibitor p31(comet) actively promotes mitotic adaptation through cyclin B1 degradation and has a minor separate function in suppressing apoptosis. Conversely, the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member, Noxa, is a critical initiator of mitotic cell death. Unexpectedly, the upstream components of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 contribute to mitotic adaption. Our results reveal crosstalk between the apoptosis and adaptation pathways during mitotic arrest.

Inefficient SRP interaction with a nascent chain triggers a mRNA quality control pathway.

Misfolded proteins are often cytotoxic, unless cellular systems prevent their accumulation. Data presented here uncover a mechanism by which defects in secretory proteins lead to a dramatic reduction in their mRNAs and protein expression. When mutant signal sequences fail to bind to the signal recognition particle (SRP) at the ribosome exit site, the nascent chain instead contacts Argonaute2 (Ago2), and the mutant mRNAs are specifically degraded. Severity of signal sequence mutations correlated with increased proximity of Ago2 to nascent chain and mRNA degradation. Ago2 knockdown inhibited degradation of the mutant mRNA, while overexpression of Ago2 or knockdown of SRP54 promoted degradation of secretory protein mRNA. The results reveal a previously unappreciated general mechanism of translational quality control, in which specific mRNA degradation preemptively regulates aberrant protein production (RAPP).

A C-terminal Myb extension domain defines a novel family of double-strand telomeric DNA-binding proteins in Arabidopsis.

Little is known about the protein composition of plant telomeres. We queried the Arabidopsis thaliana genome data base in search of genes with similarity to the human telomere proteins hTRF1 and hTRF2. hTRF1/hTRF2 are distinguished by the presence of a single Myb-like domain in their C terminus that is required for telomeric DNA binding in vitro. Twelve Arabidopsis genes fitting this criterion, dubbed TRF-like (TRFL), fell into two distinct gene families. Notably, TRFL family 1 possessed a highly conserved region C-terminal to the Myb domain called Myb-extension (Myb-ext) that is absent in TRFL family 2 and hTRF1/hTRF2. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that recombinant proteins from TRFL family 1, but not those from family 2, formed homodimers and heterodimers in vitro. DNA binding studies with isolated C-terminal fragments from TRFL family 1 proteins, but not family 2, showed specific binding to double-stranded plant telomeric DNA in vitro. Removal of the Myb-ext domain from TRFL1, a family 1 member, abolished DNA binding. However, when the Myb-ext domain was introduced into the corresponding region in TRFL3, a family 2 member, telomeric DNA binding was observed. Thus, Myb-ext is required for binding plant telomeric DNA and defines a novel class of proteins in Arabidopsis.

Transient idling of posttermination ribosomes ready to reinitiate protein synthesis.

The fate of ribosomes between termination and initiation during protein synthesis is very basic, yet poorly understood. Here we found that translational reinitiation of the alkaline phosphatase gene occurs in Escherichia coli from an internal methionine codon when the authentic translation is prematurely terminated at a nonsense codon that is within seven codons upstream of the reinitiation codon (which we refer to as "reinitiation window"). Changing the reading frame downstream of the stop codon did not abolish the reinitiation, while inactivating the upstream initiation codon abolished the reinitiation. Moreover, depletion of the ribosome recycling factor (RRF), which disassembles posttermination ribosomes in conjunction with elongation factor G, did not influence the observed reinitiation. These findings suggest that posttermination ribosomes can undergo a transient idling state ready to reinitiate protein synthesis even in the absence of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence within the reinitiation window by evading disengagement from the mRNA.