Surviving winter on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau: Extensive reversible protein phosphorylation plays a dominant role in regulating hypometabolism in hibernating Nanorana parkeri.

Changes in protein abundance and reversible protein phosphorylation (RPP) play important roles in regulating hypometabolism but have never been documented in overwintering frogs at high altitudes. To test the hypothesis that protein abundance and phosphorylation change in response to winter hibernation, we conducted a comprehensive and quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of the liver of the Xizang plateau frog, Nanorana parkeri, living on the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Plateau (QTP). In total, 5 170 proteins and 5 695 phosphorylation sites in 1 938 proteins were quantified. Based on proteomic analysis, 674 differentially expressed proteins (438 up-regulated, 236 down-regulated) were screened in hibernating N. parkeri versus summer individuals. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that higher expressed proteins in winter were significantly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways, whereas lower expressed proteins were mainly involved in metabolic processes. A total of 4 251 modified sites (4 147 up-regulated, 104 down-regulated) belonging to 1 638 phosphoproteins (1 555 up-regulated, 83 down-regulated) were significantly changed in the liver. During hibernation, RPP regulated a diverse array of proteins involved in multiple functions, including metabolic enzymatic activity, ion transport, protein turnover, signal transduction, and alternative splicing. These changes contribute to enhancing protection, suppressing energy-consuming processes, and inducing metabolic depression. Moreover, the activities of phosphofructokinase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and ATPase were all significantly lower in winter compared to summer. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis and demonstrate the importance of RPP as a regulatory mechanism when animals transition into a hypometabolic state.

[Mechanism of 5'-to-3' degradation of eukaryotic and prokaryotic mRNA].

RNA degradation plays an important role in modulating gene expression and it affects multiple biological processes. There are three common degradation mechanisms of eukaryotic and prokaryotic mRNA: endonucleolytic, 5'-to-3' and 3'-to-5' exonucleolytic degradation. Differences do exist between the two kingdoms. For example, although the 5'-to-3' exoribonucleolytic degradation is the primary degradation mechanism of eukaryotic mRNA, it plays a minimal role in bacteria, and only in Gram-positive bacteria. Recently, novel RNA degradation mechanisms have been revealed, such as a new eukaryotic mRNA decapping mode mediated by 3'-uridylation and a new 3'-to-5' degradation pathway independent of exosome. These accumulating discoveries not only deepen the insight of mRNA degradation mechanisms, but also may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic drugs targeting parasites, viruses or cancer. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of 5'-to-3' exonucleolytic degradation pathway of eukaryotic and prokaryotic mRNA, and its future therapeutic perspectives.