Noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) participate in epigenetic regulation but are poorly understood. Here we characterize the transcriptional landscape of the four human HOX loci at five base pair resolution in 11 anatomic sites and identify 231 HOX ncRNAs that extend known transcribed regions by more than 30 kilobases. HOX ncRNAs are spatially expressed along developmental axes and possess unique sequence motifs, and their expression demarcates broad chromosomal domains of differential histone methylation and RNA polymerase accessibility. We identified a 2.2 kilobase ncRNA residing in the HOXC locus, termed HOTAIR, which represses transcription in trans across 40 kilobases of the HOXD locus. HOTAIR interacts with Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) and is required for PRC2 occupancy and histone H3 lysine-27 trimethylation of HOXD locus. Thus, transcription of ncRNA may demarcate chromosomal domains of gene silencing at a distance; these results have broad implications for gene regulation in development and disease states.

MicroRNAs are key regulators of gene expression, but the precise mechanisms underlying their interaction with their mRNA targets are still poorly understood. Here, we systematically investigate the role of target-site accessibility, as determined by base-pairing interactions within the mRNA, in microRNA target recognition. We experimentally show that mutations diminishing target accessibility substantially reduce microRNA-mediated translational repression, with effects comparable to those of mutations that disrupt sequence complementarity. We devise a parameter-free model for microRNA-target interaction that computes the difference between the free energy gained from the formation of the microRNA-target duplex and the energetic cost of unpairing the target to make it accessible to the microRNA. This model explains the variability in our experiments, predicts validated targets more accurately than existing algorithms, and shows that genomes accommodate site accessibility by preferentially positioning targets in highly accessible regions. Our study thus demonstrates that target accessibility is a critical factor in microRNA function.

The structures of RNA molecules are often important for their function and regulation1-6, yet there are no experimental techniques for genome-scale measurement of RNA structure. Here, we describe a novel strategy termed Parallel Analysis of RNA Structure (PARS), which is based on deep sequencing fragments of RNAs that were treated with structure-specific enzymes, thus providing simultaneous in-vitro profiling of the secondary structure of thousands of RNA species at single nucleotide resolution. We apply PARS to profile the secondary structure of the mRNAs of the budding yeast S. cerevisiae and obtain structural profiles for over 3000 distinct transcripts. Analysis of these profiles reveals several RNA structural properties of yeast transcripts, including the existence of more secondary structure over coding regions compared to untranslated regions, a three-nucleotide periodicity of secondary structure across coding regions, and a relationship between the efficiency with which an mRNA is translated and the lack of structure over its translation start site. PARS is readily applicable to other organisms and to profiling RNA structure in diverse conditions, thus enabling studies of the dynamics of secondary structure at a genomic scale.

RNA structure is critical for gene regulation and function. In the past, transcriptomes have been largely parsed by primary sequences and expression levels, but it is now becoming feasible to annotate and compare transcriptomes based on RNA structure. In addition to computational prediction methods, the recent advent of experimental techniques to probe RNA structure by deep sequencing has enabled genome-wide measurements of RNA structure, and provided the first picture of the structural organization of an eukaryotic transcriptome—the “RNA structurome”. With additional advances in method refinement and interpretation, structural views of the transcriptome should help to identify and validate regulatory RNA motifs that are involved in diverse cellular processes, and thereby increase understanding of RNA function.

The survival rate following lung transplantation is among the lowest of all solid-organ transplants, and current diagnostic tests often fail to distinguish between infection and rejection, the two primary posttransplant clinical complications. We describe a diagnostic assay that simultaneously monitors for rejection and infection in lung transplant recipients by sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma. We determined that the levels of donor-derived cfDNA directly correlate with the results of invasive tests of rejection (area under the curve 0.9). We also analyzed the nonhuman cfDNA as a hypothesis-free approach to test for infections. Cytomegalovirus is most frequently assayed clinically, and the levels of CMV-derived sequences in cfDNA are consistent with clinical results. We furthermore show that hypothesis-free monitoring for pathogens using cfDNA reveals undiagnosed cases of infection, and that certain infectious pathogens such as human herpesvirus (HHV) 6, HHV-7, and adenovirus, which are not often tested clinically, occur with high frequency in this cohort.organ transplantation | cell-free DNA | infection | rejection | diagnosis

The Escherichia coli tauD gene is required for the utilization of taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) as a sulfur source and is expressed only under conditions of sulfate starvation. The sequence relatedness of the TauD protein to the ␣-ketoglutarate-dependent 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate dioxygenase of Alcaligenes eutrophus suggested that TauD is an ␣-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase catalyzing the oxygenolytic release of sulfite from taurine (van der Ploeg, J. R., Weiss, M. A., Saller, E., Nashimoto, H., Saito, N., Kertesz, M. A., and Leisinger, T. (1996) J. Bacteriol. 178, 5438 -5446). TauD was overexpressed in E. coli to ϳ70% of the total soluble protein and purified to apparent homogeneity by a simple two-step procedure. The apparent M r of 81,000 of the native protein and the subunit M r of 37,400 were consistent with a homodimeric structure. The pure enzyme converted taurine to sulfite and aminoacetaldehyde, which was identified by high pressure liquid chromatography after enzymatic conversion to ethanolamine. The reaction also consumed equimolar amounts of oxygen and ␣-ketoglutarate; ferrous iron was absolutely required for activity; and ascorbate stimulated the reaction. The properties and amino acid sequence of this enzyme thus define it as a new member of the ␣-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase family. The pure enzyme showed maximal activity at pH 6.9 and retained activity on storage at ؊20°C for several weeks. Taurine (K m ‫؍‬ 55 M) was the preferred substrate, but pentanesulfonic acid, 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid, and 1,3-dioxo-2-isoindolineethanesulfonic acid were also desulfonated at significant rates. Among the cosubstrates tested, only ␣-ketoglutarate (K m ‫؍‬ 11 M) supported significant dioxygenase activity.In the absence of sulfate, Escherichia coli can utilize aliphatic sulfonates as sulfur sources for growth. Sulfonates known to provide sulfur include ethanesulfonate, butanesulfonate, L-cysteate, isethionate (2-hydroxyethanesulfonate), and taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonate) (1, 2). None of these sulfonates served as sulfur source under anaerobic conditions, nor could they be utilized as a source of carbon and energy or of carbon, energy, and sulfur under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions (1). The mechanisms of sulfur assimilation from aliphatic sulfonates are unknown, but it has been shown that sulfonate/sulfur enters the assimilatory sulfate reduction pathway at the stage of sulfite (3).Recently, we have identified the tauABCD gene cluster, located at 8.5 min on the E. coli chromosome, which is specifically involved in the utilization of taurine as a sulfur source (2). Disruption of tauB, tauC, or tauD resulted in the loss of the ability to utilize taurine as a source of sulfur, but did not affect the utilization of a range of other aliphatic sulfonates as sulfur sources. The tau genes were only expressed during growth in the absence of sulfate or cysteine (2). The amino acid sequences of TauABC exhibit similarity to components of ABC-type transport systems (4). TauA has a p...

The structure of PAS shows that the resting state of the key catalytic residue in sulfatases is a formylglycine hydrate. These structural data establish a mechanism for sulfate ester cleavage involving an aldehyde hydrate as the functional group that initiates the reaction through a nucleophilic attack on the sulfur atom in the substrate. The alcohol is eliminated from a reaction intermediate containing pentacoordinated sulfur. Subsequent elimination of the sulfate regenerates the aldehyde, which is again hydrated. The metal cation involved in stabilizing the charge and anchoring the substrate during catalysis is established as calcium.

Sulfonates and sulfate esters are widespread in nature, and make up over 95% of the sulfur content of most aerobic soils. Many microorganisms can use sulfonates and sulfate esters as a source of sulfur for growth, even when they are unable to metabolize the carbon skeleton of the compounds. In these organisms, expression of sulfatases and sulfonatases is repressed in the presence of sulfate, in a process mediated by the LysR-type regulator protein CysB, and the corresponding genes therefore constitute an extension of the cys regulon. Additional regulator proteins required for sulfonate desulfonation have been identified in Escherichia coli (the Cbl protein) and Pseudomonas putida (the AsfR protein). Desulfonation of aromatic and aliphatic sulfonates as sulfur sources by aerobic bacteria is oxygendependent, carried out by the K-ketoglutarate-dependent taurine dioxygenase, or by one of several FMNH 2 -dependent monooxygenases. Desulfurization of condensed thiophenes is also FMNH 2 -dependent, both in the rhodococci and in two Gram-negative species. Bacterial utilization of aromatic sulfate esters is catalyzed by arylsulfatases, most of which are related to human lysosomal sulfatases and contain an active-site formylglycine group that is generated post-translationally. Sulfate-regulated alkylsulfatases, by contrast, are less well characterized. Our increasing knowledge of the sulfur-regulated metabolism of organosulfur compounds suggests applications in practical fields such as biodesulfurization, bioremediation, and optimization of crop sulfur nutrition. ß