A multi-omics analysis reveals the unfolded protein response regulon and stress-induced resistance to folate-based antimetabolites.

Stress response pathways are critical for cellular homeostasis, promoting survival through adaptive changes in gene expression and metabolism. They play key roles in numerous diseases and are implicated in cancer progression and chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanisms are only poorly understood. We have employed a multi-omics approach to monitor changes to gene expression after induction of a stress response pathway, the unfolded protein response (UPR), probing in parallel the transcriptome, the proteome, and changes to translation. Stringent filtering reveals the induction of 267 genes, many of which have not previously been implicated in stress response pathways. We experimentally demonstrate that UPR-mediated translational control induces the expression of enzymes involved in a pathway that diverts intermediate metabolites from glycolysis to fuel mitochondrial one-carbon metabolism. Concomitantly, the cells become resistant to the folate-based antimetabolites Methotrexate and Pemetrexed, establishing a direct link between UPR-driven changes to gene expression and resistance to pharmacological treatment.

The zinc finger domains in U2AF26 and U2AF35 have diverse functionalities including a role in controlling translation.

Recent work has associated point mutations in both zinc fingers (ZnF) of the spliceosome component U2AF35 with malignant transformation. However, surprisingly little is known about the functionality of the U2AF35 ZnF domains in general. Here we have analysed key functionalities of the ZnF domains of mammalian U2AF35 and its paralog U2AF26. Both ZnFs are required for splicing regulation, whereas only ZnF2 controls protein stability and contributes to the interaction with U2AF65. These features are confirmed in a naturally occurring splice variant of U2AF26 lacking ZnF2, that is strongly induced upon activation of primary mouse T cells and localized in the cytoplasm. Using Ribo-Seq in a model T cell line we provide evidence for a role of U2AF26 in activating cytoplasmic steps in gene expression, notably translation. Consistently, an MS2 tethering assay shows that cytoplasmic U2AF26/35 increase translation when localized to the 5'UTR of a model mRNA. This regulation is partially dependent on ZnF1 thus providing a connection between a core splicing factor, the ZnF domains and the regulation of translation. Altogether, our work reveals unexpected functions of U2AF26/35 and their ZnF domains, thereby contributing to a better understanding of their role and regulation in mammalian cells.

A sensitive and simple targeted proteomics approach to quantify transcription factor and membrane proteins of the unfolded protein response pathway in glioblastoma cells.

Many cellular events are driven by changes in protein expression, measurable by mass spectrometry or antibody-based assays. However, using conventional technology, the analysis of transcription factor or membrane receptor expression is often limited by an insufficient sensitivity and specificity. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a high-resolution targeted proteomics strategy, which allows quantification down to the lower attomol range in a straightforward way without any prior enrichment or fractionation approaches. The method applies isotope-labeled peptide standards for quantification of the protein of interest. As proof of principle, we applied the improved workflow to proteins of the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signaling pathway of great clinical importance, and could for the first time detect and quantify all major UPR receptors, transducers and effectors that are not readily detectable via antibody-based-, SRM- or conventional PRM assays. As transcription and translation is central to the regulation of UPR, quantification and determination of protein copy numbers in the cell is important for our understanding of the signaling process as well as how pharmacologic modulation of these pathways impacts on the signaling. These questions can be answered using our newly established workflow as exemplified in an experiment using UPR perturbation in a glioblastoma cell lines.

CircRNA-protein complexes: IMP3 protein component defines subfamily of circRNPs.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a new class of noncoding RNAs in higher eukaryotes generated from pre-mRNAs by alternative splicing. Here we investigated in mammalian cells the association of circRNAs with proteins. Using glycerol gradient centrifugation, we characterized in cell lysates circRNA-protein complexes (circRNPs) of distinct sizes. By polysome-gradient fractionation we found no evidence for efficient translation of a set of abundant circRNAs in HeLa cells. To identify circRNPs with a specific protein component, we focused on IMP3 (IGF2BP3, insulin-like growth factor 2 binding protein 3), a known tumor marker and RNA-binding protein. Combining RNA-seq analysis of IMP3-co-immunoprecipitated RNA and filtering for circular-junction reads identified a set of IMP3-associated circRNAs, which were validated and characterized. In sum, our data suggest that specific circRNP families exist defined by a common protein component. In addition, this provides a general approach to identify circRNPs with a given protein component.

Domain Organization of Vaccinia Virus Helicase-Primase D5.

UNLABELLED: Poxviridae are viruses with a large linear double-stranded DNA genome coding for up to 250 open reading frames and a fully cytoplasmic replication. The double-stranded DNA genome is covalently circularized at both ends. Similar structures of covalently linked extremities of the linear DNA genome are found in the African swine fever virus (asfarvirus) and in the Phycodnaviridae We are studying the machinery which replicates this peculiar genome structure. From our work with vaccinia virus, we give first insights into the overall structure and function of the essential poxvirus virus helicase-primase D5 and show that the active helicase domain of D5 builds a hexameric ring structure. This hexamer has ATPase and, more generally, nucleoside triphosphatase activities that are indistinguishable from the activities of full-length D5 and that are independent of the nature of the base. In addition, hexameric helicase domains bind tightly to single- and double-stranded DNA. Still, the monomeric D5 helicase construct truncated within the D5N domain leads to a well-defined structure, but it does not have ATPase or DNA-binding activity. This shows that the full D5N domain has to be present for hexamerization. This allowed us to assign a function to the D5N domain which is present not only in D5 but also in other viruses of the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA virus (NCLDV) clade. The primase domain and the helicase domain were structurally analyzed via a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and, when appropriate, electron microscopy, leading to consistent low-resolution models of the different proteins. IMPORTANCE: Since the beginning of the 1980s, research on the vaccinia virus replication mechanism has basically stalled due to the absence of structural information. As a result, this important class of pathogens is less well understood than most other viruses. This lack of information concerns in general viruses of the NCLDV clade, which use a superfamily 3 helicase for replication, as do poxviruses. Here we provide for the first time information about the domain structure and DNA-binding activity of D5, the poxvirus helicase-primase. This result not only refines the current model of the poxvirus replication fork but also will lead in the long run to a structural basis for antiviral drug design.