RNA editing adds and deletes uridine nucleotides in many preedited mRNAs to create translatable mRNAs in the mitochondria of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Kinetoplastid RNA editing protein B3 (KREPB3, formerly TbMP61) is part of the multiprotein complex that catalyzes editing in T. brucei and contains an RNase III motif that suggests nuclease function. Repression of KREPB3 expression, either by RNA interference in procyclic forms (PFs) or by conditional inactivation of an ectopic KREPB3 allele in bloodstream forms (BFs) that lack both endogenous alleles, strongly inhibited growth and in vivo editing in PFs and completely blocked them in BFs. KREPB3 repression inhibited cleavage of insertion editing substrates but not deletion editing substrates in vitro, whereas the terminal uridylyl transferase, U-specific exoribonuclease, and ligase activities of editing were unaffected, and Ϸ20S editosomes were retained. Expression of KREPB3 alleles with single amino acid mutations in the RNase III motif had similar consequences. These data indicate that KREPB3 is an RNA editing endonuclease that is specific for insertion sites and is accordingly renamed KREN2 (kinetoplastid RNA editing endonuclease 2).any mitochondrial mRNAs in trypanosomatids are edited by the insertion and deletion of uridine nucleotides (Us) as directed by guide RNAs (gRNAs) (1). The key steps of RNA editing are the coordinated endonucleolytic cleavage of preedited mRNA (pre-mRNA); terminal uridylyl transferase or U-specific exoribonuclease-mediated insertion or deletion of Us, respectively; and ligation. These enzymatic activities are in an Ϸ20S multiprotein complex, the editosome, which contains at least 20 proteins (2). The proteins responsible for U insertion (KRET2), deletion (KREX1), and ligation (KREL1 and KREL2) have been identified (3-7), but the protein (or proteins) responsible for endonucleolytic cleavage remain unidentified.The RNA editing endonuclease activity by editosomecontaining extracts cleaves synthetic ATPase subunit 6 (A6) or cytochrome b (CYb) pre-mRNAs in vitro in a gRNA-directed manner (8-10). The cleavage occurs 5Ј to the pre-mRNA:gRNA anchor duplex, leaving a 3Ј hydroxyl and 5Ј phosphate at the cleavage site. Cleavage of insertion sites is inhibited by adenosine nucleotides, whereas cleavage of deletion sites is stimulated by these nucleotides (11), suggesting that there may be distinct endonucleases. Several editosome proteins identified by mass spectrometry have motifs suggestive of nuclease function and may be RNA editing endonucleases (2).Kinetoplastid RNA editing protein (KREP) B1, KREPB2, and KREPB3 have RNase III, U1-like Zn 2ϩ finger, and dsRNAbinding motifs indicative of endonucleases. RNase III and dsRNA-binding motifs are typical in bacterial and eukaryotic endonucleases, and U1-like Zn 2ϩ finger motifs imply RNA and protein interactions in a complex (12). The RNase III motifs of KREPB1, KREPB2, and KREPB3 all conserve the amino acids that are critical to endonuclease function (13). A report indicating that KREPA3 ...
Trypanosoma brucei has three distinct ϳ20S editosomes that catalyze RNA editing by the insertion and deletion of uridylates. Editosomes with the KREN1 or KREN2 RNase III type endonucleases specifically cleave deletion and insertion editing site substrates, respectively. We report here that editosomes with KREPB2, which also has an RNase III motif, specifically cleave cytochrome oxidase II (COII) pre-mRNA insertion editing site substrates in vitro. Conditional repression and mutation studies also show that KREPB2 is an editing endonuclease specifically required for COII mRNA editing in vivo. Furthermore, KREPB2 expression is essential for the growth and survival of bloodstream forms. Thus, editing in T. brucei requires at least three compositionally and functionally distinct ϳ20S editosomes, two of which distinguish between different insertion editing sites. This unexpected finding reveals an additional level of complexity in the RNA editing process and suggests a mechanism for how the selection of sites for editing in vivo is controlled.RNA editing recodes most of the mitochondrial mRNAs in trypanosomatids by the insertion and deletion of uridine nucleotides (U's) using information provided by guide RNAs (gRNAs) (58). RNA editing is developmentally regulated and is required for parasites that cycle between insect vector and mammalian host (54). Proteins that perform catalytic steps of RNA editing have been identified: endonucleases KREN1 or KREN2 cleave at deletion or insertion sites, respectively; terminal uridylyl transferase (TUTase) KRET2 adds U's at insertion sites; U specific exoribonuclease (exoUase) KREX1 removes U's at deletion sites; and ligases KREL1 or KREL2 rejoin mRNA fragments after U addition or removal (5,13,25,30,34,55,61). These catalytic steps are coordinated by the multiprotein editosomes that sediment at ϳ20S on glycerol gradients (9, 43). KREPB2 was identified as an editosome component by mass spectrometry, and found to contain an RNase III motif harboring amino acids that are critical for catalysis, a U1 Zn 2ϩ finger, and double-stranded RNA binding. It has sequence similarity to KREN1 and KREN2, which also contain these three motifs (23,41,64). These data strongly suggest an RNA editing endonuclease role for KREPB2.KREN1 and KREN2 were shown to be RNA editing endonucleases using both RNA interference (RNAi) and conditional knockout cell lines (5, 61). Both KREN1 and KREN2 are essential for the normal growth of PF and BF cells, and repression of their expression by either method led to dramatic growth defects or death, respectively. Such repression of KREN1 eliminated in vitro cleavage by ϳ20S editosomes of a deletion site in a synthetic substrate modeled on ATPase subunit 6 (A6) pre-mRNA but did not alter cleavage of an insertion site in a substrate derived from the same mRNA. These studies and other data have shown that KREN1 is an editing endonuclease with a preference for sites from which U's are deleted (29). Similarly, repression of KREN2 eliminated in vitro cleavage at insertion ed...
RNA editing in Trypanosoma brucei inserts and deletes uridines in mitochondrial mRNAs by a series of enzymatic steps that are catalyzed by a multiprotein complex, the editosome. KREPB1 and two related editosome proteins KREPB2 and KREPB3 contain motifs that suggest endonuclease and RNA/protein interaction functions. Repression of KREPB1 expression in procyclic forms by RNAi inhibited growth, in vivo editing, and in vitro endoribonucleolytic cleavage of deletion substrates. However, cleavage of insertion substrates and the exoUase, TUTase, and ligase catalytic activities of editing were retained by 20S editosomes. Repression of expression of an ectopic KREPB1 allele in bloodstream forms lacking both endogenous alleles or exclusive expression of KREPB1 with point mutations in the putative RNase III catalytic domain also blocked growth, in vivo editing, and abolished cleavage of deletion substrates, without affecting the other editing steps. These data indicate that KREPB1 is an endoribonuclease that is specific for RNA editing deletion sites.
CCCH zinc finger proteins (ZC3Hs) are a novel class of RNA-binding protein involved in post-transcriptional mechanisms controlling gene expression. We show TbZC3H20 from Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness and other diseases, stabilizes two developmentally regulated transcripts encoding a mitochondrial carrier protein (MCP12) and trans-sialidase (TS-like E). TbZC3H20 is shown to be an RNA-binding protein that is enriched in insect procyclic form T. brucei and is the first ZC3H discovered controlling gene expression through modulating mRNA abundance in trypanosomes. Previous studies have demonstrated that RNA recognition motif-containing and PUF family RNA-binding proteins can control gene expression by stabilizing specific target mRNA levels. This work is the first to describe a ZC3H stabilizing rather than destabilizing target mRNAs as a regulatory mechanism and the first report of a ZC3H regulating a gene encoding a mitochondrial protein. This suggests a broader role for ZC3Hs in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression than previously thought.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.