The genomic region of the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of PHO84, rather than the antisense RNA, promotes gene repression.

PHO84 is a budding yeast gene reported to be negatively regulated by its cognate antisense transcripts both in cis and in trans. In this study, we performed Transient-transcriptome sequencing (TT-seq) to investigate the correlation of sense/antisense pairs in a dbp2Δ strain and found over 700 sense/antisense pairs, including PHO84, to be positively correlated, contrasting the prevailing model. To define what mechanism regulates the PHO84 gene and how this regulation could have been originally attributed to repression by the antisense transcript, we conducted a series of molecular biology and genetics experiments. We now report that the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) of PHO84 plays a repressive role in sense expression, an activity not linked to the antisense transcripts. Moreover, we provide results of a genetic screen for 3'UTR-dependent repression of PHO84 and show that the vast majority of identified factors are linked to negative regulation. Finally, we show that the PHO84 promoter and terminator form gene loops which correlate with transcriptional repression, and that the RNA-binding protein, Tho1, increases this looping and the 3'UTR-dependent repression. Our results negate the current model for antisense non-coding transcripts of PHO84 and suggest that many of these transcripts are byproducts of open chromatin.

Regulated Formation of lncRNA-DNA Hybrids Enables Faster Transcriptional Induction and Environmental Adaptation.

Long non-coding (lnc)RNAs, once thought to merely represent noise from imprecise transcription initiation, have now emerged as major regulatory entities in all eukaryotes. In contrast to the rapidly expanding identification of individual lncRNAs, mechanistic characterization has lagged behind. Here we provide evidence that the GAL lncRNAs in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae promote transcriptional induction in trans by formation of lncRNA-DNA hybrids or R-loops. The evolutionarily conserved RNA helicase Dbp2 regulates formation of these R-loops as genomic deletion or nuclear depletion results in accumulation of these structures across the GAL cluster gene promoters and coding regions. Enhanced transcriptional induction is manifested by lncRNA-dependent displacement of the Cyc8 co-repressor and subsequent gene looping, suggesting that these lncRNAs promote induction by altering chromatin architecture. Moreover, the GAL lncRNAs confer a competitive fitness advantage to yeast cells because expression of these non-coding molecules correlates with faster adaptation in response to an environmental switch.

The mRNA export factor Gle1 and inositol hexakisphosphate regulate distinct stages of translation.

Gene expression requires proper messenger RNA (mRNA) export and translation. However, the functional links between these consecutive steps have not been fully defined. Gle1 is an essential, conserved mRNA export factor whose export function is dependent on the small molecule inositol hexakisphosphate (IP(6)). Here, we show that both Gle1 and IP(6) are required for efficient translation termination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and that Gle1 interacts with termination factors. In addition, Gle1 has a conserved physical association with the initiation factor eIF3, and gle1 mutants display genetic interactions with the eIF3 mutant nip1-1. Strikingly, gle1 mutants have defects in initiation, whereas strains lacking IP(6) do not. We propose that Gle1 functions together with IP(6) and the DEAD-box protein Dbp5 to regulate termination. However, Gle1 also independently mediates initiation. Thus, Gle1 is uniquely positioned to coordinate the mRNA export and translation mechanisms. These results directly impact models for perturbation of Gle1 function in pathophysiology.

DDX5 helicase resolves G-quadruplex and is involved in MYC gene transcriptional activation.

G-quadruplexes (G4) are noncanonical secondary structures formed in guanine-rich DNA and RNA sequences. MYC, one of the most critical oncogenes, forms a DNA G4 in its proximal promoter region (MycG4) that functions as a transcriptional silencer. However, MycG4 is highly stable in vitro and its regulatory role would require active unfolding. Here we report that DDX5, one of the founding members of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family, is extremely proficient at unfolding MycG4-DNA. Our results show that DDX5 is a highly active G4-resolvase that does not require a single-stranded overhang and that ATP hydrolysis is not directly coupled to G4-unfolding of DDX5. The chromatin binding sites of DDX5 are G-rich sequences. In cancer cells, DDX5 is enriched at the MYC promoter and activates MYC transcription. The DDX5 interaction with the MYC promoter and DDX5-mediated MYC activation is inhibited by G4-interactive small molecules. Our results uncover a function of DDX5 in resolving DNA and RNA G4s and suggest a molecular target to suppress MYC for cancer intervention.

The RNA helicase DDX5 supports mitochondrial function in small cell lung cancer.

DEAD-box helicase 5 (DDX5) is a founding member of the DEAD-box RNA helicase family, a group of enzymes that regulate ribonucleoprotein formation and function in every aspect of RNA metabolism, ranging from synthesis to decay. Our laboratory previously found that DDX5 is involved in energy homeostasis, a process that is altered in many cancers. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an understudied cancer type for which effective treatments are currently unavailable. Using an array of methods, including short hairpin RNA-mediated gene silencing, RNA and ChIP sequencing analyses, and metabolite profiling, we show here that DDX5 is overexpressed in SCLC cell lines and that its down-regulation results in various metabolic and cellular alterations. Depletion of DDX5 resulted in reduced growth and mitochondrial dysfunction in the chemoresistant SCLC cell line H69AR. The latter was evidenced by down-regulation of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and by impaired oxygen consumption. Interestingly, DDX5 depletion specifically reduced intracellular succinate, a TCA cycle intermediate that serves as a direct electron donor to mitochondrial complex II. We propose that the oncogenic role of DDX5, at least in part, manifests as up-regulation of respiration supporting the energy demands of cancer cells.

The balancing act of R-loop biology: The good, the bad, and the ugly.

An R-loop is a three-stranded nucleic acid structure that consists of a DNA:RNA hybrid and a displaced strand of DNA. R-loops occur frequently in genomes and have significant physiological importance. They play vital roles in regulating gene expression, DNA replication, and DNA and histone modifications. Several studies have uncovered that R-loops contribute to fundamental biological processes in various organisms. Paradoxically, although they do play essential positive functions required for important biological processes, they can also contribute to DNA damage and genome instability. Recent evidence suggests that R-loops are involved in a number of human diseases, including neurological disorders, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. This review focuses on the molecular basis for R-loop-mediated gene regulation and genomic instability and briefly discusses methods for identifying R-loops in vivo It also highlights recent studies indicating the role of R-loops in DNA double-strand break repair with an updated view of much-needed future goals in R-loop biology.

Transcription, translation, and DNA repair: new insights from emerging noncanonical substrates of RNA helicases.

RNA helicases are enzymes that exist in all domains of life whose canonical functions include ATP-dependent remodeling of RNA structures and displacement of proteins from ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs). These enzymes play roles in virtually all processes of RNA metabolism, including pre-mRNA splicing, rRNA processing, nuclear mRNA export, translation and RNA decay. Here we review emerging noncanonical substrates of RNA helicases including RNA-DNA hybrids (R-loops) and RNA and DNA G-quadruplexes and discuss their biological significance.

The DEAD-box protein Dbp2p is linked to noncoding RNAs, the helicase Sen1p, and R-loops.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase Dbp2p is highly conserved in eukaryotes and has been implicated in transcription, ribosome biogenesis, mRNP assembly, nuclear export, and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) function. It is not understood how Dbp2p performs these seemingly unrelated biological roles. An important step toward addressing this question is the determination of cellular RNA binding sites of Dbp2p. Here, we identify transcriptome-wide RNA binding sites of Dbp2p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using UV-crosslinking, denaturing tandem affinity purification, and next generation sequencing. We find that Dbp2p crosslinks to mRNAs and ribosomal RNAs, and markedly to noncoding RNAs, including snoRNA, snRNAs, and tRNAs. In snoRNAs, Dbp2p preferentially crosslinks at sites near the 3' ends. These sites coincide with regions where RNA-DNA hybrids (R-loops) form and with binding sites of Sen1p, another RNA helicase that functions in transcription termination and 3' processing of noncoding RNAs. We show that Dbp2p interacts in an RNA-independent manner with Sen1p in vivo. Dbp2p crosslinks to tRNAs and other RNAs also at sites where R-loops form. Collectively, our data link Dbp2p to noncoding RNAs, Sen1p, and R-loops. The transcriptome-wide connection to R-loops provides a unifying theme for diverse cellular roles of Dbp2p.

Characterization of the mammalian DEAD-box protein DDX5 reveals functional conservation with S. cerevisiae ortholog Dbp2 in transcriptional control and glucose metabolism.

DEAD-box proteins are a class of nonprocessive RNA helicases that dynamically modulate the structure of RNA and ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs). However, the precise roles of individual members are not well understood. Work from our laboratory revealed that the DEAD-box protein Dbp2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an active RNA helicase in vitro that functions in transcription by promoting mRNP assembly, repressing cryptic transcription initiation, and regulating long noncoding RNA activity. Interestingly, Dbp2 is also linked to glucose sensing and hexose transporter gene expression. DDX5 is the mammalian ortholog of Dbp2 that has been implicated in cancer and metabolic syndrome, suggesting that the role of Dbp2 and DDX5 in glucose metabolic regulation is conserved. Herein, we present a refined biochemical and biological comparison of yeast Dbp2 and human DDX5 enzymes. We find that human DDX5 possesses a 10-fold higher unwinding activity than Dbp2, which is partially due to the presence of a mammalian/avian specific C-terminal extension. Interestingly, ectopic expression of DDX5 rescues the cold sensitivity, cryptic initiation defects, and impaired glucose import in dbp2Δ cells, suggesting functional conservation. Consistently, we show that DDX5 promotes glucose uptake and glycolysis in mouse AML12 hepatocyte cells, suggesting that mammalian DDX5 and S. cerevisiae Dbp2 share conserved roles in cellular metabolism.

SAC3B, a central component of the mRNA export complex TREX-2, is required for prevention of epigenetic gene silencing in Arabidopsis.

Epigenetic regulation is important for organismal development and response to the environment. Alteration in epigenetic status has been known mostly from the perspective of enzymatic actions of DNA methylation and/or histone modifications. In a genetic screen for cellular factors involved in preventing epigenetic silencing, we isolated an Arabidopsis mutant defective in SAC3B, a component of the conserved TREX-2 complex that couples mRNA transcription with nuleo-cytoplasmic export. Arabidopsis SAC3B dysfunction causes gene silencing at transgenic and endogenous loci, accompanied by elevation in the repressive histone mark H3K9me2 and by reduction in RNA polymerase Pol II occupancy. SAC3B dysfunction does not alter promoter DNA methylation level of the transgene d35S::LUC, although the DNA demethylase ROS1 is also required for d35S::LUC anti-silencing. THP1 and NUA were identified as SAC3B-associated proteins whose mutations also caused d35S::LUC silencing. RNA-DNA hybrid exists at the repressed loci but is unrelated to gene suppression by the sac3b mutation. Genome-wide analyses demonstrated minor but clear involvement of SAC3B in regulating siRNAs and DNA methylation, particularly at a group of TAS and TAS-like loci. Together our results revealed not only a critical role of mRNA-export factors in transcriptional anti-silencing but also the contribution of SAC3B in shaping plant epigenetic landscapes.

The Dbp5 cycle at the nuclear pore complex during mRNA export II: nucleotide cycling and mRNP remodeling by Dbp5 are controlled by Nup159 and Gle1.

Essential messenger RNA (mRNA) export factors execute critical steps to mediate directional transport through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). At cytoplasmic NPC filaments, the ATPase activity of DEAD-box protein Dbp5 is activated by inositol hexakisphosphate (IP(6))-bound Gle1 to mediate remodeling of mRNA-protein (mRNP) complexes. Whether a single Dbp5 executes multiple remodeling events and how Dbp5 is recycled are unknown. Evidence suggests that Dbp5 binding to Nup159 is required for controlling interactions with Gle1 and the mRNP. Using in vitro reconstitution assays, we found here that Nup159 is specifically required for ADP release from Dbp5. Moreover, Gle1-IP(6) stimulates ATP binding, thus priming Dbp5 for RNA loading. In vivo, a dbp5-R256D/R259D mutant with reduced ADP binding bypasses the need for Nup159 interaction. However, NPC spatial control is important, as a dbp5-R256D/R259D nup42Δ double mutant is temperature-sensitive for mRNA export. Further analysis reveals that remodeling requires a conformational shift to the Dbp5-ADP form. ADP release factors for DEAD-box proteins have not been reported previously and reflect a new paradigm for regulation. We propose a model wherein Nup159 and Gle1-IP(6) regulate Dbp5 cycles by controlling its nucleotide-bound state, allowing multiple cycles of mRNP remodeling by a single Dbp5 at the NPC.

The Dbp5 cycle at the nuclear pore complex during mRNA export I: dbp5 mutants with defects in RNA binding and ATP hydrolysis define key steps for Nup159 and Gle1.

Nuclear export of messenger RNA (mRNA) occurs by translocation of mRNA/protein complexes (mRNPs) through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs). The DEAD-box protein Dbp5 mediates export by triggering removal of mRNP proteins in a spatially controlled manner. This requires Dbp5 interaction with Nup159 in NPC cytoplasmic filaments and activation of Dbp5's ATPase activity by Gle1 bound to inositol hexakisphosphate (IP(6)). However, the precise sequence of events within this mechanism has not been fully defined. Here we analyze dbp5 mutants that alter ATP binding, ATP hydrolysis, or RNA binding. We found that ATP binding and hydrolysis are required for efficient Dbp5 association with NPCs. Interestingly, mutants defective for RNA binding are dominant-negative (DN) for mRNA export in yeast and human cells. We show that the DN phenotype stems from competition with wild-type Dbp5 for Gle1 at NPCs. The Dbp5-Gle1 interaction is limiting for export and, importantly, can be independent of Nup159. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments in yeast show a very dynamic association between Dbp5 and NPCs, averaging <1 sec, similar to reported NPC translocation rates for mRNPs. This work reveals critical steps in the Gle1-IP(6)/Dbp5/Nup159 cycle, and suggests that the number of remodeling events mediated by a single Dbp5 is limited.

Large-Scale Analysis of Kinase Signaling in Yeast Pseudohyphal Development Identifies Regulation of Ribonucleoprotein Granules.

Yeast pseudohyphal filamentation is a stress-responsive growth transition relevant to processes required for virulence in pathogenic fungi. Pseudohyphal growth is controlled through a regulatory network encompassing conserved MAPK (Ste20p, Ste11p, Ste7p, Kss1p, and Fus3p), protein kinase A (Tpk2p), Elm1p, and Snf1p kinase pathways; however, the scope of these pathways is not fully understood. Here, we implemented quantitative phosphoproteomics to identify each of these signaling networks, generating a kinase-dead mutant in filamentous S. cerevisiae and surveying for differential phosphorylation. By this approach, we identified 439 phosphoproteins dependent upon pseudohyphal growth kinases. We report novel phosphorylation sites in 543 peptides, including phosphorylated residues in Ras2p and Flo8p required for wild-type filamentous growth. Phosphoproteins in these kinase signaling networks were enriched for ribonucleoprotein (RNP) granule components, and we observe co-localization of Kss1p, Fus3p, Ste20p, and Tpk2p with the RNP component Igo1p. These kinases localize in puncta with GFP-visualized mRNA, and KSS1 is required for wild-type levels of mRNA localization in RNPs. Kss1p pathway activity is reduced in lsm1Δ/Δ and pat1Δ/Δ strains, and these genes encoding P-body proteins are epistatic to STE7. The P-body protein Dhh1p is also required for hyphal development in Candida albicans. Collectively, this study presents a wealth of data identifying the yeast phosphoproteome in pseudohyphal growth and regulatory interrelationships between pseudohyphal growth kinases and RNPs.

RNA helicase DEAD box protein 5 regulates Polycomb repressive complex 2/Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA function in hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocarcinogenesis.

UNLABELLED: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis by a mechanism not yet understood. Elucidating mechanisms of HBV-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis is needed to gain insights into classification and treatment of HCC. In HBV replicating cells, including virus-associated HCCs, suppressor of zeste 12 homolog (SUZ12), a core subunit of Polycomb repressive complex2 (PRC2), undergoes proteasomal degradation. This process requires the long noncoding RNA, Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR). Intriguingly, HOTAIR interacts with PRC2 and also binds RNA-binding E3 ligases, serving as a ubiquitination scaffold. Herein, we identified the RNA helicase, DEAD box protein 5 (DDX5), as a regulator of SUZ12 stability and PRC2-mediated gene repression, acting by regulating RNA-protein complexes formed with HOTAIR. Specifically, knockdown of DDX5 and/or HOTAIR enabled reexpression of PRC2-repressed genes epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and pluripotency genes. Also, knockdown of DDX5 enhanced transcription from the HBV minichromosome. The helicase activity of DDX5 stabilized SUZ12- and PRC2-mediated gene silencing, by displacing the RNA-binding E3 ligase, Mex-3 RNA-binding family member B (Mex3b), from HOTAIR. Conversely, ectopic expression of Mex3b ubiquitinated SUZ12, displaced DDX5 from HOTAIR, and induced SUZ12 down-regulation. In G2 phase of cells expressing the HBV X protein (HBx), SUZ12 preferentially associated with Mex3b, but not DDX5, resulting in de-repression of PRC2 targets, including EpCAM and pluripotency genes. Significantly, liver tumors from HBx/c-myc bitransgenic mice and chronically HBV-infected patients exhibited a strong negative correlation between DDX5 messenger RNA levels, pluripotency gene expression, and liver tumor differentiation. Notably, chronically infected HBV patients with HCC expressing reduced DDX5 exhibited poor prognosis after tumor resection, identifying DDX5 as an important player in poor prognosis HCC. CONCLUSION: The RNA helicase DDX5, and E3 ligase Mex3b, are important cellular targets for the design of novel, epigenetic therapies to combat HBV infection and poor prognosis HBV-associated liver cancer. (Hepatology 2016;64:1033-1048).

Long noncoding RNAs promote transcriptional poising of inducible genes.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of molecules that impinge on the expression of protein-coding genes. Previous studies have suggested that the GAL cluster-associated lncRNAs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae repress expression of the protein-coding GAL genes. Herein, we demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for the GAL lncRNAs in activating gene expression. In yeast strains lacking the RNA helicase, DBP2, or the RNA decay enzyme, XRN1, we find that the GAL lncRNAs specifically accelerate gene expression from a prior repressive state. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the previously suggested repressive role is a result of specific mutant phenotypes, rather than a reflection of the normal, wild-type function of these noncoding RNAs. To shed light on the mechanism for lncRNA-dependent gene activation, we show that rapid induction of the protein-coding GAL genes is associated with faster recruitment of RNA polymerase II and reduced association of transcriptional repressors with GAL gene promoters. This suggests that the GAL lncRNAs enhance expression by derepressing the GAL genes. Consistently, the GAL lncRNAs enhance the kinetics of transcriptional induction, promoting faster expression of the protein-coding GAL genes upon the switch in carbon source. We suggest that the GAL lncRNAs poise inducible genes for rapid activation, enabling cells to more effectively trigger new transcriptional programs in response to cellular cues.

LncRNAs: Bridging environmental sensing and gene expression.

The survival of all organisms is dependent on complex, coordinated responses to environmental cues. Non-coding RNAs have been identified as major players in regulation of gene expression, with recent evidence supporting roles for long non-coding (lnc)RNAs in both transcriptional and post-transcriptional control. Evidence from our laboratory shows that lncRNAs have the ability to form hybridized structures called R-loops with specific DNA target sequences in S. cerevisiae, thereby modulating gene expression. In this Point of View, we provide an overview of the nature of lncRNA-mediated control of gene expression in the context of our studies using the GAL gene cluster as a model for controlling the timing of transcription.

Macromolecular transport between the nucleus and the cytoplasm: Advances in mechanism and emerging links to disease.

Transport of macromolecules between the cytoplasm and the nucleus is critical for the function of all eukaryotic cells. Large macromolecular channels termed nuclear pore complexes that span the nuclear envelope mediate the bidirectional transport of cargoes between the nucleus and cytoplasm. However, the influence of macromolecular trafficking extends past the nuclear pore complex to transcription and RNA processing within the nucleus and signaling pathways that reach into the cytoplasm and beyond. At the Mechanisms of Nuclear Transport biennial meeting held from October 18 to 23, 2013 in Woods Hole, MA, researchers in the field met to report on their recent findings. The work presented highlighted significant advances in understanding nucleocytoplasmic trafficking including how transport receptors and cargoes pass through the nuclear pore complex, the many signaling pathways that impinge on transport pathways, interplay between the nuclear envelope, nuclear pore complexes, and transport pathways, and numerous links between transport pathways and human disease. The goal of this review is to highlight newly emerging themes in nuclear transport and underscore the major questions that are likely to be the focus of future research in the field.

WITHDRAWN: Supinoxin blocks Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Respiration through the RNA Helicase DDX5.

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase Dbp2 connects RNA quality control with repression of aberrant transcription.

DEAD-box proteins are a class of RNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis enzymes that rearrange RNA and RNA-protein (ribonucleoprotein) complexes. In an effort to characterize the cellular function of individual DEAD-box proteins, our laboratory has uncovered a previously unrecognized link between the DEAD-box protein Dbp2 and the regulation of transcription in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we report that Dbp2 is a double-stranded RNA-specific ATPase that associates directly with chromatin and is required for transcriptional fidelity. In fact, loss of DBP2 results in multiple gene expression defects, including accumulation of noncoding transcripts, inefficient 3' end formation, and appearance of aberrant transcriptional initiation products. We also show that loss of DBP2 is synthetic lethal with deletion of the nuclear RNA decay factor, RRP6, pointing to a global role for Dbp2 in prevention of aberrant transcriptional products. Taken together, we present a model whereby Dbp2 functions to cotranscriptionally modulate RNA structure, a process that facilitates ribonucleoprotein assembly and clearance of transcripts from genomic loci. These studies suggest that Dbp2 is a missing link in RNA quality control that functions to maintain the fidelity of transcriptional processes.