RiboDiPA: a novel tool for differential pattern analysis in Ribo-seq data.

Ribosome profiling, also known as Ribo-seq, has become a popular approach to investigate regulatory mechanisms of translation in a wide variety of biological contexts. Ribo-seq not only provides a measurement of translation efficiency based on the relative abundance of ribosomes bound to transcripts, but also has the capacity to reveal dynamic and local regulation at different stages of translation based on positional information of footprints across individual transcripts. While many computational tools exist for the analysis of Ribo-seq data, no method is currently available for rigorous testing of the pattern differences in ribosome footprints. In this work, we develop a novel approach together with an R package, RiboDiPA, for Differential Pattern Analysis of Ribo-seq data. RiboDiPA allows for quick identification of genes with statistically significant differences in ribosome occupancy patterns for model organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. We show that differential pattern analysis reveals information that is distinct and complimentary to existing methods that focus on translational efficiency analysis. Using both simulated Ribo-seq footprint data and three benchmark data sets, we illustrate that RiboDiPA can uncover meaningful pattern differences across multiple biological conditions on a global scale, and pinpoint characteristic ribosome occupancy patterns at single codon resolution.

Tuned polymerization of the transcription factor Yan limits off-DNA sequestration to confer context-specific repression.

During development, transcriptional complexes at enhancers regulate gene expression in complex spatiotemporal patterns. To achieve robust expression without spurious activation, the affinity and specificity of transcription factor-DNA interactions must be precisely balanced. Protein-protein interactions among transcription factors are also critical, yet how their affinities impact enhancer output is not understood. The Drosophila transcription factor Yan provides a well-suited model to address this, as its function depends on the coordinated activities of two independent and essential domains: the DNA-binding ETS domain and the self-associating SAM domain. To explore how protein-protein affinity influences Yan function, we engineered mutants that increase SAM affinity over four orders of magnitude. This produced a dramatic subcellular redistribution of Yan into punctate structures, reduced repressive output and compromised survival. Cell-type specification and genetic interaction defects suggest distinct requirements for polymerization in different regulatory decisions. We conclude that tuned protein-protein interactions enable the dynamic spectrum of complexes that are required for proper regulation.

DNA Occupancy of Polymerizing Transcription Factors: A Chemical Model of the ETS Family Factor Yan.

Transcription factors use both protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions to assemble appropriate complexes to regulate gene expression. Although most transcription factors operate as monomers or dimers, a few, including the E26 transformation-specific family repressors Drosophila melanogaster Yan and its human homolog TEL/ETV6, can polymerize. Although polymerization is required for both the normal and oncogenic function of Yan and TEL/ETV6, the mechanisms by which it influences the recruitment, organization, and stability of transcriptional complexes remain poorly understood. Further, a quantitative description of the DNA occupancy of a polymerizing transcription factor is lacking, and such a description would have broader applications to the conceptually related area of polymerizing chromatin regulators. To expand the theoretical basis for understanding how the oligomeric state of a transcriptional regulator influences its chromatin occupancy and function, we leveraged the extensive biochemical characterization of E26 transformation-specific factors to develop a mathematical model of Yan occupancy at chemical equilibrium. We find that spreading condensation from a specific binding site can take place in a path-independent manner given reasonable values of the free energies of specific and non-specific DNA binding and protein-protein cooperativity. Our calculations show that polymerization confers upon a transcription factor the unique ability to extend occupancy across DNA regions far from specific binding sites. In contrast, dimerization promotes recruitment to clustered binding sites and maximizes discrimination between specific and non-specific sites. We speculate that the association with non-specific DNA afforded by polymerization may enable regulatory behaviors that are well-suited to transcriptional repressors but perhaps incompatible with precise activation.

TULIPs: tunable, light-controlled interacting protein tags for cell biology.

Naturally photoswitchable proteins offer a means of directly manipulating the formation of protein complexes that drive a diversity of cellular processes. We developed tunable light-inducible dimerization tags (TULIPs) based on a synthetic interaction between the LOV2 domain of Avena sativa phototropin 1 (AsLOV2) and an engineered PDZ domain (ePDZ). TULIPs can recruit proteins to diverse structures in living yeast and mammalian cells, either globally or with precise spatial control using a steerable laser. The equilibrium binding and kinetic parameters of the interaction are tunable by mutation, making TULIPs readily adaptable to signaling pathways with varying sensitivities and response times. We demonstrate the utility of TULIPs by conferring light sensitivity to functionally distinct components of the yeast mating pathway and by directing the site of cell polarization.