SUMMARY Stress granules are mRNA-protein assemblies formed from nontranslating mRNAs. Stress granules are important in the stress response and may contribute to some degenerative diseases. Here we describe the stress granule transcriptome of yeast and mammalian cells through RNA-Seq analysis of purified stress granule cores and smFISH validation. While essentially every mRNA, and some ncRNAs, can be targeted to stress granules, the targeting efficiency varies from <1% to >95%. mRNA accumulation in stress granules correlates with longer coding and UTR regions and poor translatability. Quantifying the RNA-Seq analysis by smFISH reveals only 10% of bulk mRNA molecules accumulate in mammalian stress granules, and only 185 genes have more than 50% of their mRNA molecules in stress granules. These results suggest stress granules may not represent a specific biological program of mRNP assembly, but instead form by condensation of nontranslating mRNPs in proportion to their length and lack of association with ribosomes.

Proteins regulate gene expression by controlling mRNA biogenesis, localization, translation and decay. Identifying the composition, diversity and function of mRNPs (mRNA protein complexes) is essential to understanding these processes. In a global survey of S. cerevisiae mRNA binding proteins we identified 120 proteins that cross-link to mRNA, including 66 new mRNA binding proteins. These include kinases, RNA modification enzymes, metabolic enzymes, and tRNA and rRNA metabolism factors. These proteins show dynamic subcellular localization during stress, including assembly into stress granules and P-bodies (Processing-bodies). CLIP (cross-linking and immunoprecipitation) analyses of the P-body components Pat1, Lsm1, Dhh1 and Sbp1 identified sites of interaction on specific mRNAs revealing positional binding preferences and co-assembly preferences. Taken together, this work defines the major yeast mRNP proteins, reveals widespread changes in their subcellular location during stress, and begins to define assembly rules for P-body mRNPs.

The proper processing, export, localization, translation, and degradation of mRNAs are necessary for regulation of gene expression. These processes are controlled by mRNA-specific regulatory proteins, noncoding RNAs, and core machineries common to most mRNAs. These factors bind the mRNA in large complexes known as messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs). Herein, we review the components of mRNPs, how they assemble and rearrange, and how mRNP composition differentially affects mRNA biogenesis, function, and degradation. We also describe how properties of the mRNP "interactome" lead to emergent principles affecting the control of gene expression.

Summary Translational control is frequently exerted at the stage of mRNA recruitment to the initiating ribosome. We have reconstituted mRNA recruitment to the 43S preinitiation complex (PIC) using purified S. cerevisiae components. We show that eIF3 and the eIF4 factors not only stabilize binding of mRNA to the PIC, they also dramatically increase the rate of recruitment. Although capped mRNAs require eIF3 and the eIF4 factors for efficient recruitment to the PIC, uncapped mRNAs can be recruited in the presence of eIF3 alone. The cap strongly inhibits this alternative recruitment pathway, imposing a requirement for the eIF4 factors for rapid and stable binding of natural mRNA. Our data suggest that the 5′-cap serves as both a positive and negative element in mRNA recruitment, promoting initiation in the presence of the canonical group of mRNA handling factors while preventing binding to the ribosome via an aberrant, alternative pathway requiring only eIF3.

Selection of the AUG start codon is a key step in translation initiation requiring hydrolysis of GTP in the eIF2•GTP•Met-tRNA iMet ternary complex (TC) and subsequent P i release from eIF2•GDP•P i . It is thought that eIF1 prevents recognition of non-AUGs by promoting scanning and blocking P i release at non-AUG codons. We show that Sui − mutations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae eIF1, which increase initiation at UUG codons, reduce interaction of eIF1 with 40S subunits in vitro and in vivo, and both defects are diminished in cells by overexpressing the mutant proteins. Remarkably, Sui − mutation ISQLG 93-97 ASQAA (abbreviated 93-97) accelerates eIF1 dissociation and P i release from reconstituted preinitiation complexes (PICs), whereas a hyperaccuracy mutation in eIF1A (that suppresses Sui − mutations) decreases the eIF1 off-rate. These findings demonstrate that eIF1 dissociation is a critical step in start codon selection, which is modulated by eIF1A. We also describe Gcd − mutations in eIF1 that impair TC loading on 40S subunits or destabilize the multifactor complex containing eIF1, eIF3, eIF5, and TC, showing that eIF1 promotes PIC assembly in vivo beyond its important functions in AUG selection.[Keywords: AUG selection; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; translation initiation; eIF1] Supplemental material is available at http://www.genesdev.org.

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Translation initiation factor eIF1A stimulates preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly and scanning, but the molecular mechanisms of its functions are not understood. We show that the F131A,F133A mutation in the C-terminal tail (CTT) of eIF1A impairs recruitment of the eIF2-GTP-MettRNA iMet ternary complex to 40S subunits, eliminating functional coupling with eIF1. Mutating residues 17-21 in the N-terminal tail (NTT) of eIF1A also reduces PIC assembly, but in a manner rescued by eIF1. Interestingly, the 131,133 CTT mutation enhances initiation at UUG codons (Sui À phenotype) and decreases leaky scanning at AUG, while the NTT mutation 17-21 suppresses the Sui À phenotypes of eIF5 and eIF2b mutations and increases leaky scanning. These findings and the opposite effects of the mutations on eIF1A binding to reconstituted PICs suggest that the NTT mutations promote an open, scanning-conducive conformation of the PIC, whereas the CTT mutations 131,133 have the reverse effect. We conclude that tight binding of eIF1A to the PIC is an important determinant of AUG selection and is modulated in opposite directions by residues in the NTT and CTT of eIF1A.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF)4B stimulates recruitment of mRNA to the 43S ribosomal pre-initiation complex (PIC). Yeast eIF4B (yeIF4B), shown previously to bind single-stranded (ss) RNA, consists of an N-terminal domain (NTD), predicted to be unstructured in solution; an RNA-recognition motif (RRM); an unusual domain comprised of seven imperfect repeats of 26 amino acids; and a C-terminal domain. Although the mechanism of yeIF4B action has remained obscure, most models have suggested central roles for its RRM and ssRNA-binding activity. We have dissected the functions of yeIF4B's domains and show that the RRM and its ssRNA-binding activity are dispensable in vitro and in vivo. Instead, our data indicate that the 7-repeats and NTD are the most critical domains, which mediate binding of yeIF4B to the head of the 40S ribosomal subunit via interaction with Rps20. This interaction induces structural changes in the ribosome's mRNA entry channel that could facilitate mRNA loading. We also show that yeIF4B strongly promotes productive interaction of eIF4A with the 43S•mRNA PIC in a manner required for efficient mRNA recruitment.