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Three surveillance pathways specialize in the degradation of mRNA molecules trapped in stalled translation complexes: the non-stop decay (NSD), the no-go decay (NGD) and the 18S-rRNA decay (18S-NRD) pathways. These quality control mechanisms degrade faulty mRNAs and contribute to maintaining the production of functional proteins. Living cells require the continuous production of proteins by the ribosomes. Any problem enforcing these protein factories to stall during mRNA translation may then have deleterious cellular effects. To minimize these defects, eukaryotic cells have evolved dedicated surveillance pathways: non-stop decay (NSD), no-go decay (NGD) and non-functional 18S-rRNA decay (18S-NRD). Recent studies support a general molecular framework for these surveillance pathways, the mechanisms of which are intimately related to translation termination.

The control of gene expression is a multi-layered process occurring at the level of DNA, RNA, and proteins. With the emergence of highly sensitive techniques, new aspects of RNA regulation have been uncovered leading to the emerging field of epitranscriptomics dealing with RNA modifications. Among those post-transcriptional modifications, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent in messenger RNAs (mRNAs). This mark can either prevent or stimulate the formation of RNA-protein complexes, thereby influencing mRNA-related mechanisms and cellular processes. This review focuses on proteins containing a YTH domain (for YT521-B Homology), a small building block, that selectively detects the m6A nucleotide embedded within a consensus motif. Thereby, it contributes to the recruitment of various effectors involved in the control of mRNA fates through adjacent regions present in the different YTH-containing proteins.

The nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway clears eukaryotic cells of mRNAs containing premature termination codons (PTCs) or normal stop codons located in specific contexts. It therefore plays an important role in gene expression regulation. The precise molecular mechanism of the NMD pathway has long been considered to differ substantially from yeast to metazoa, despite the involvement of universally conserved factors such as the central ATP-dependent RNA-helicase Upf1. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the yeast Upf1 bound to its recently identified but yet uncharacterized partner Nmd4, show that Nmd4 stimulates Upf1 ATPase activity and that this interaction contributes to the elimination of NMD substrates. We also demonstrate that a region of Nmd4 critical for the interaction with Upf1 in yeast is conserved in the metazoan SMG6 protein, another major NMD factor. We show that this conserved region is involved in the interaction of SMG6 with UPF1 and that mutations in this region affect the levels of endogenous human NMD substrates. Our results support the universal conservation of the NMD mechanism in eukaryotes.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to the regulation of gene expression in response to intra- or extracellular signals but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we identify an uncharacterized lncRNA as a central player in shaping the meiotic gene expression program in fission yeast. We report that this regulatory RNA, termed mamRNA , scaffolds the antagonistic RNA-binding proteins Mmi1 and Mei2 to ensure their reciprocal inhibition and fine tune meiotic mRNA degradation during mitotic growth. Mechanistically, mamRNA allows Mmi1 to target Mei2 for ubiquitin-mediated downregulation, and conversely enables accumulating Mei2 to impede Mmi1 activity, thereby reinforcing the mitosis to meiosis switch. These regulations also occur within a unique Mmi1-containing nuclear body, positioning mamRNA as a spatially-confined sensor of Mei2 levels. Our results thus provide a mechanistic basis for the mutual control of gametogenesis effectors and further expand our vision of the regulatory potential of lncRNAs. In fission yeast, the antagonistic RNA-binding proteins Mmi1 and Mei2 respectively promote and inhibit meiotic mRNA degradation during mitotic growth. Here the authors show that the lncRNA mamRNA scaffolds Mmi1 and Mei2 proteins to enable their mutual controls.

The eukaryotic small ribosomal subunit carries only four ribosomal (r) RNA methylated bases, all close to important functional sites. N ⁷-methylguanosine (m ⁷G) introduced at position 1575 on 18S rRNA by Bud23–Trm112 is at a ridge forming a steric block between P- and E-site tRNAs. Here we report atomic resolution structures of Bud23–Trm112 in the apo and S-adenosyl- l -methionine (SAM)-bound forms. Bud23 and Trm112 interact through formation of a β-zipper involving main-chain atoms, burying an important hydrophobic surface and stabilizing the complex. The structures revealed that the coactivator Trm112 undergoes an induced fit to accommodate its methyltransferase (MTase) partner. We report important structural similarity between the active sites of Bud23 and Coffea canephora xanthosine MTase, leading us to propose and validate experimentally a model for G1575 coordination. We identify Bud23 residues important for Bud23–Trm112 complex formation and recruitment to pre-ribosomes. We report that though Bud23–Trm112 binds precursor ribosomes at an early nucleolar stage, m ⁷G methylation occurs at a late step of small subunit biogenesis, implying specifically delayed catalytic activation. Finally, we show that Bud23–Trm112 interacts directly with the box C/D snoRNA U3-associated DEAH RNA helicase Dhr1 supposedly involved in central pseudoknot formation; this suggests that Bud23–Trm112 might also contribute to controlling formation of this irreversible and dramatic structural reorganization essential to overall folding of small subunit rRNA. Our study contributes important new elements to our understanding of key molecular aspects of human ribosomopathy syndromes associated with WBSCR22 (human Bud23) malfunction. Significance Ribosomes are essential cellular nanomachines responsible for all protein synthesis in vivo. Efficient and faithful ribosome biogenesis requires a plethora of assembly factors whose precise role and timing of action remains to be established. Here we determined the crystal structure of Bud23–Trm112, which is required for efficient pre-rRNA processing steps leading to 18S rRNA synthesis and methylation of 18S rRNA at position G1575. For the first time, to our knowledge, we identified where on Bud23–Trm112 the contacts with precursor ribosomes occur. We further report that the essential helicase Dhr1 interacts directly with Bud23–Trm112, proposing a concerted action of these proteins in ribosome assembly. Finally, we reveal that the methyltransferase activity of Bud23–Trm112 and its requirement for pre-rRNA processing are disconnected in time.

Post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications are very important for the control and optimal efficiency of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. Among these, methylation is the most widespread modification, as it is found in all domains of life. These methyl groups can be grafted either on nucleic acids (transfer RNA (tRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), mRNA, etc.) or on protein translation factors. This review focuses on Trm112, a small protein interacting with and activating at least four different eukaryotic methyltransferase (MTase) enzymes modifying factors involved in translation. The Trm112-Trm9 and Trm112-Trm11 complexes modify tRNAs, while the Trm112-Mtq2 complex targets translation termination factor eRF1, which is a tRNA mimic. The last complex formed between Trm112 and Bud23 proteins modifies 18S rRNA and participates in the 40S biogenesis pathway. In this review, we present the functions of these eukaryotic Trm112-MTase complexes, the molecular bases responsible for complex formation and substrate recognition, as well as their implications in human diseases. Moreover, as Trm112 orthologs are found in bacterial and archaeal genomes, the conservation of this Trm112 network beyond eukaryotic organisms is also discussed.

We previously designed a new family of artificial proteins named αRep based on a subgroup of thermostable helicoidal HEAT-like repeats. We have now assembled a large optimized αRep library. In this library, the side chains at each variable position are not fully randomized but instead encoded by a distribution of codons based on the natural frequency of side chains of the natural repeats family. The library construction is based on a polymerization of micro-genes and therefore results in a distribution of proteins with a variable number of repeats. We improved the library construction process using a \"filtration\" procedure to retain only fully coding modules that were recombined to recreate sequence diversity. The final library named Lib2.1 contains 1.7×10(9) independent clones. Here, we used phage display to select, from the previously described library or from the new library, new specific αRep proteins binding to four different non-related predefined protein targets. Specific binders were selected in each case. The results show that binders with various sizes are selected including relatively long sequences, with up to 7 repeats. ITC-measured affinities vary with Kd values ranging from micromolar to nanomolar ranges. The formation of complexes is associated with a significant thermal stabilization of the bound target protein. The crystal structures of two complexes between αRep and their cognate targets were solved and show that the new interfaces are established by the variable surfaces of the repeated modules, as well by the variable N-cap residues. These results suggest that αRep library is a new and versatile source of tight and specific binding proteins with favorable biophysical properties.

The internal stem loop (ISL) of the human U6 snRNA, which catalyzes pre-mRNA splicing, contains LARP7-dependent, snoRNA-guided 2'-O-methylations and an N -methylguanosine (m G) that is required for splicing of weak splice sites. Here, we show that installation of m G by the THUMPD2-TRMT112 methyltransferase complex is one of the last maturation events during U6 snRNP biogenesis. We dissect features of THUMPD2 required for association with U6 and present an experimentally validated model of the THUMPD2-TRMT112-U6 complex. Using in vitro methylation assays as well as a newly developed m G-sensitive deoxyribozyme to monitor U6-m G levels in cellular RNAs, we reveal that 2'-O-methylations within the U6 ISL enhance methylation of G . We show that m G and the 2'-O-methylations in U6 independently and interdependently influence alternative splicing. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that 2'-O-methylations in the ISL are required for incorporation of U6 into snRNPs whereas m G influences the progression of the U6 snRNP into larger assemblies, highlighting distinct roles of these modifications during spliceosome assembly.

Dom34 and Hbs1 are involved in no-go decay (NGD) and nonfunctional 18S rRNA decay (18S NRD) pathways that eliminate RNAs causing translation stalling. Now structural work reveals the similarity of the Dom34–Hbs1 complex with elongation factor–tRNA and translation termination eRF1–eRF3 complexes. Mutagenesis analysis of Hbs1 shows that NGD and 18S NRD can be genetically uncoupled. Eukaryotic cells have several quality control pathways that rely on translation to detect and degrade defective RNAs. Dom34 and Hbs1 are two proteins that are related to translation termination factors and are involved in no-go decay (NGD) and nonfunctional 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) decay (18S NRD) pathways that eliminate RNAs that cause strong ribosomal stalls. Here we present the structure of Hbs1 with and without GDP and a low-resolution model of the Dom34–Hbs1 complex. This complex mimics complexes of the elongation factor and transfer RNA or of the translation termination factors eRF1 and eRF3, supporting the idea that it binds to the ribosomal A-site. We show that nucleotide binding by Hbs1 is essential for NGD and 18S NRD. Mutations in Hbs1 that disrupted the interaction between Dom34 and Hbs1 strongly impaired NGD but had almost no effect on 18S NRD. Hence, NGD and 18S NRD could be genetically uncoupled, suggesting that mRNA and rRNA in a stalled translation complex may not always be degraded simultaneously.

In eukaryotes, the elimination of the m7GpppN mRNA cap, a process known as decapping, is a critical, largely irreversible and highly regulated step of mRNA decay that withdraws the targeted mRNAs from the pool of translatable templates. The decapping reaction is catalysed by a multi-protein complex formed by the Dcp2 catalytic subunit and its Dcp1 cofactor, a holoenzyme that is poorly active on its own and needs several accessory proteins (Lsm1–7 complex, Pat1, Edc1–2, Edc3 and/or EDC4) to be fully efficient. Here, we discuss the several crystal structures of Dcp2 domains bound to various partners (proteins or small molecules) determined in the last couple of years that have considerably improved our current understanding of how Dcp2, assisted by its various activators, is recruited to its mRNA targets and adopts its active conformation upon substrate recognition. We also describe how, over the years, elegant integrative structural biology approaches combined to biochemistry and genetics led to the identification of the correct structure of the active Dcp1–Dcp2 holoenzyme among the many available conformations trapped by X-ray crystallography. This article is part of the theme issue ‘5′ and 3′ modifications controlling RNA degradation’.