PQN-59 antagonizes microRNA-mediated repression during post-embryonic temporal patterning and modulates translation and stress granule formation in C. elegans

Carlston, Colleen, Weinmann, Robin, Stec, Natalia, Abbatemarco, Simona, Schwager, Francoise, Wang, Jing, Ouyang, Huiwu, Ewald, Collin Y, Gotta, Monica, Hammell, Christopher M (November 2021) PQN-59 antagonizes microRNA-mediated repression during post-embryonic temporal patterning and modulates translation and stress granule formation in C. elegans. PLoS Genetics, 17 (11). e1009599. ISSN 1553-7390

[thumbnail of 2021.c elegans.pdf] PDF
2021.c elegans.pdf
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (4MB)

Abstract

microRNAs (miRNAs) are potent regulators of gene expression that function in a variety of developmental and physiological processes by dampening the expression of their target genes at a post-transcriptional level. In many gene regulatory networks (GRNs), miRNAs function in a switch-like manner whereby their expression and activity elicit a transition from one stable pattern of gene expression to a distinct, equally stable pattern required to define a nascent cell fate. While the importance of miRNAs that function in this capacity are clear, we have less of an understanding of the cellular factors and mechanisms that ensure the robustness of this form of regulatory bistability. In a screen to identify suppressors of temporal patterning phenotypes that result from ineffective miRNA-mediated target repression, we identified pqn-59, an ortholog of human UBAP2L, as a novel factor that antagonizes the activities of multiple heterochronic miRNAs. Specifically, we find that depletion of pqn-59 can restore normal development in animals with reduced lin-4 and let-7-family miRNA activity. Importantly, inactivation of pqn-59 is not sufficient to bypass the requirement of these regulatory RNAs within the heterochronic GRN. The pqn-59 gene encodes an abundant, cytoplasmically-localized, unstructured protein that harbors three essential "prion-like" domains. These domains exhibit LLPS properties in vitro and normally function to limit PQN-59 diffusion in the cytoplasm in vivo. Like human UBAP2L, PQN-59's localization becomes highly dynamic during stress conditions where it re-distributes to cytoplasmic stress granules and is important for their formation. Proteomic analysis of PQN-59 complexes from embryonic extracts indicates that PQN-59 and human UBAP2L interact with orthologous cellular components involved in RNA metabolism and promoting protein translation and that PQN-59 additionally interacts with proteins involved in transcription and intracellular transport. Finally, we demonstrate that pqn-59 depletion reduces protein translation and also results in the stabilization of several mature miRNAs (including those involved in temporal patterning). These data suggest that PQN-59 may ensure the bistability of some GRNs that require miRNA functions by promoting miRNA turnover and, like UBAP2L, enhancing protein translation.

Item Type: Paper
Subjects: bioinformatics
organism description > animal > C elegans
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > RNA regulation
organism description > animal
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > insertion/deletion
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > miRNA
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > miRNA
CSHL Authors:
Communities: CSHL Cancer Center Program
CSHL Cancer Center Program > Gene Regulation and Inheritance Program
CSHL Cancer Center Shared Resources > Bioinformatics Service
CSHL Cancer Center Shared Resources > Microscopy Service
CSHL labs > Hammell C. lab
School of Biological Sciences > Publications
SWORD Depositor: CSHL Elements
Depositing User: CSHL Elements
Date: November 2021
Date Deposited: 09 Dec 2021 14:35
Last Modified: 01 Mar 2024 14:36
PMCID: PMC8648105
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/40453

Actions (login required)

Administrator's edit/view item Administrator's edit/view item