RESUMEN
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are inhibitors of gene expression capable of controlling processes in normal development and cancer. In mammals, miRNAs use a seed sequence of 6-8 nucleotides (nt) to associate with 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) of mRNAs and inhibit their expression. Intriguingly, occasionally not only the miRNA-targeting site but also sequences in its vicinity are highly conserved throughout evolution. We therefore hypothesized that conserved regions in mRNAs may serve as docking platforms for modulators of miRNA activity. Here we demonstrate that the expression of dead end 1 (Dnd1), an evolutionary conserved RNA-binding protein (RBP), counteracts the function of several miRNAs in human cells and in primordial germ cells of zebrafish by binding mRNAs and prohibiting miRNAs from associating with their target sites. These effects of Dnd1 are mediated through uridine-rich regions present in the miRNA-targeted mRNAs. Thus, our data unravel a novel role of Dnd1 in protecting certain mRNAs from miRNA-mediated repression.
Asunto(s)
Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica , Silenciador del Gen , Células Germinativas/metabolismo , MicroARNs/metabolismo , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Proteínas de Unión al ARN/metabolismo , Transcripción Genética , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/metabolismo , Regiones no Traducidas 3' , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Sitios de Unión , Línea Celular Tumoral , Conexina 43/genética , Conexina 43/metabolismo , Secuencia Conservada , Inhibidor p27 de las Quinasas Dependientes de la Ciclina/genética , Inhibidor p27 de las Quinasas Dependientes de la Ciclina/metabolismo , Humanos , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Mutación , Unión Proteica , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/genética , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Unión al ARN/genética , Secuencias Reguladoras de Ácido Ribonucleico , Transfección , Pez Cebra , Proteínas de Pez Cebra/genéticaRESUMEN
Endogenous small RNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by mechanisms conserved across metazoans. While the number of verified human miRNAs is still expanding, only few have been functionally annotated. To perform genetic screens for novel functions of miRNAs, we developed a library of vectors expressing the majority of cloned human miRNAs and created corresponding DNA barcode arrays. In a screen for miRNAs that cooperate with oncogenes in cellular transformation, we identified miR-372 and miR-373, each permitting proliferation and tumorigenesis of primary human cells that harbor both oncogenic RAS and active wild-type p53. These miRNAs neutralize p53-mediated CDK inhibition, possibly through direct inhibition of the expression of the tumorsuppressor LATS2. We provide evidence that these miRNAs are potential novel oncogenes participating in the development of human testicular germ cell tumors by numbing the p53 pathway, thus allowing tumorigenic growth in the presence of wild-type p53.
Asunto(s)
Regulación de la Expresión Génica , Técnicas Genéticas , MicroARNs/genética , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/genética , Neoplasias Testiculares/genética , Animales , Secuencia de Bases , Línea Celular Tumoral , Transformación Celular Neoplásica , Pruebas Genéticas/métodos , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Desnudos , MicroARNs/química , Datos de Secuencia Molecular , Trasplante de Neoplasias , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteína p53 Supresora de Tumor/metabolismo , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/metabolismo , Proteínas ras/metabolismoRESUMEN
Endogenous small RNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression by mechanisms conserved across metazoans. While the number of verified human miRNAs is still expanding, only few have been functionally annotated. To perform genetic screens for novel functions of miRNAs, we developed a library of vectors expressing the majority of cloned human miRNAs and created corresponding DNA barcode arrays. In a screen for miRNAs that cooperate with oncogenes in cellular transformation, we identified miR-372 and miR-373, each permitting proliferation and tumorigenesis of primary human cells that harbor both oncogenic RAS and active wild-type p53. These miRNAs neutralize p53-mediated CDK inhibition, possibly through direct inhibition of the expression of the tumor-suppressor LATS2. We provide evidence that these miRNAs are potential novel oncogenes participating in the development of human testicular germ cell tumors by numbing the p53 pathway, thus allowing tumorigenic growth in the presence of wild-type p53.
Asunto(s)
Pruebas Genéticas , MicroARNs/clasificación , MicroARNs/genética , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/genética , Oncogenes , Neoplasias Testiculares/genética , Células Cultivadas , Humanos , Masculino , MicroARNs/farmacología , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Transducción de Señal , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Supresoras de Tumor/metabolismoRESUMEN
White Spot Syndrome Virus, the type species of the virus family Nimaviridae, is a large dsDNA virus infecting shrimp and other crustaceans. Genomic analysis of three completely sequenced WSSV isolates identified two major polymorphic loci, "variable region ORF14/15" and "variable region ORF23/24". Here, we characterize a WSSV isolate originating from shrimp collected in Thailand in 1996 (TH-96-II). This isolate contains the largest WSSV genome ( approximately 312 kb) identified so far, mainly because of its sequences in both major polymorphic loci. Analysis of "variable region ORF14/15" suggests that TH-96-II may be ancestral to the WSSV isolates described to date. A comparison for virulence was made between TH-96-II and WSSV-TH, a well characterized isolate containing the smallest genome ( approximately 293 kb) identified at present. After injection of the isolates into Penaeus monodon the mortality rates showed that the median lethal time (LT50) of TH-96-II was approximately 14 days, compared to 3.5 days for WSSV-TH. When both isolates were mixed in equal amounts and serially passaged in shrimp, WSSV-TH outcompeted TH-96-II within four passages. These data suggest a higher virulence of WSSV-TH compared to TH-96-II. The molecular basis for the difference in virulence remains unclear, but a replication advantage of the 19 kb smaller WSSV-TH genome could play a role.