Post-transcriptional homeostasis and regulation of MCM2-7 in mammalian cells
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
Authors: Chuang, Chen-Hua; Yang, Dian; Bai, Gongshi; Freeland, Amy; Pruitt, Steven C.; Schimenti, John C.
Abstract
The MiniChromosome Maintenance 2-7 (MCM2-7) complex provides essential replicative helicase function. Insufficient MCMs impair the cell cycle and cause genomic instability (GIN), leading to cancer and developmental defects in mice. Remarkably, depletion or mutation of one Mcm can decrease all Mcm levels. Here, we use mice and cells bearing a GIN-causing hypomophic allele of Mcm4 (Chaos3), in conjunction with disruption alleles of other Mcms, to reveal two new mechanisms that regulate MCM protein levels and pre-RC formation. First, the Mcm4(Chaos3) allele, which disrupts MCM4:MCM6 interaction, triggers a Dicer1 and Drosha-dependent similar to 40% reduction in Mcm2-7 mRNAs. The decreases in Mcm mRNAs coincide with up-regulation of the miR-34 family of microRNAs, which is known to be Trp53-regulated and target Mcms. Second, MCM3 acts as a negative regulator of the MCM2-7 helicase in vivo by complexing with MCM5 in a manner dependent upon a nuclear-export signal-like domain, blocking the recruitment of MCMs onto chromatin. Therefore, the stoichiometry of MCM components and their localization is controlled post-transcriptionally at both the mRNA and protein levels. Alterations to these pathways cause significant defects in cell growth reflected by disease phenotypes in mice.
Identification of crucial regulatory relationships between long non-coding RNAs and protein-coding genes in lung squamous cell carcinoma
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR PROBES
Authors: Wu, Xiaofen; Ruan, Lei; Yang, Yi; Mei, Qi
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the relationships of long non-coding RNAs (IncRNAs) and protein coding genes in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Methods: RNA-seq data of LUSC deposited in the TCGA database were used to identify differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DECGs) and differentially expressed lncRNA genes (DE-IncRNAs) between LUSC samples and normal samples. Functional enrichment analysis of DECGs was then performed. Subsequently, the target genes and regulators of DE-lncRNAs were predicted from the DECGs. Additionally, expression levels of target genes of DE-lncRNAs were validated by RT-qPCR after the silence of DE-IncRNAs. Results: In total, 5162 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the LUSC samples, and there were seven upregulated lncRNA genes in the DEGs. The upregulated DECGs were enriched in GO terms like RNA binding and metabolic process. Meanwhile, the downregulated DECGs were enriched in GO terms like cell cycle. Furthermore, the lncRNAs PVT1 and TERC targeted multiple DECGs. PVT1 targeted genes related to cell cycle (e.g. POLA2, POLD1, MCM4, MCM5 and MCM6), and reduced expression of PVT1 decreased expression of the genes. TERC regulated several genes (e.g. NDUFABI, NDUFA11 and NDUFB5), and reduced expression of TERC increased expression of the genes. Additionally, PVT1 was regulated by multiple transcription factors (TFs) identified from DECGs, such as HSF1; and TERC was modulated by TFs, such as PIR. Conclusion: A set of regulatory relationships between PVT1 and its targets and regulators, as well as TERC and its targets and regulators, may play crucial roles in the progress of LUSC. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.