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RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Yamasaki, T; Onishi, M; Kim, E-J; Cerutti, H; Ohama, T
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
September 2016

Canonical microRNAs (miRNAs) are embedded in duplexed stem-loops in long precursor transcripts and are excised by sequential cleavage by DICER nuclease(s). In this miRNA biogenesis pathway, dsRNA-binding proteins play important roles in animals and plants by assisting DICER. However, these RNA-binding proteins are poorly characterized in unicellular organisms. Here we report that a unique RNA-binding protein, Dull slicer-16 (DUS16), plays an essential role in processing of primary-miRNA (pri-miRNA) transcripts in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii In animals and plants, dsRNA-binding proteins involved in miRNA biogenesis harbor two or three dsRNA-binding domains (dsRBDs), whereas DUS16 contains one dsRBD and also an ssRNA-binding domain (RRM). The null mutant of DUS16 showed a drastic reduction in most miRNA species. Production of these miRNAs was complemented by expression of full-length DUS16, but the expression of RRM- or dsRBD-truncated DUS16 did not restore miRNA production. Furthermore, DUS16 is predominantly localized to the nucleus and associated with nascent (unspliced form) pri-miRNAs and the DICER-LIKE 3 protein. These results suggest that DUS16 recognizes pri-miRNA transcripts cotranscriptionally and promotes their processing into mature miRNAs as a component of a microprocessor complex. We propose that DUS16 is an essential factor for miRNA production in Chlamydomonas and, because DUS16 is functionally similar to the dsRNA-binding proteins involved in miRNA biogenesis in animals and land plants, our report provides insight into this mechanism in unicellular eukaryotes.

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Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

September 2016

Volume

113

Issue

38

Start / End Page

10720 / 10725

Related Subject Headings

  • Ribonuclease III
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
  • MicroRNAs
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Algal Proteins
 

Citation

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Yamasaki, T., Onishi, M., Kim, E.-J., Cerutti, H., & Ohama, T. (2016). RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(38), 10720–10725. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1523230113
Yamasaki, Tomohito, Masayuki Onishi, Eun-Jeong Kim, Heriberto Cerutti, and Takeshi Ohama. “RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 113, no. 38 (September 2016): 10720–25. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1523230113.
Yamasaki T, Onishi M, Kim E-J, Cerutti H, Ohama T. RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2016 Sep;113(38):10720–5.
Yamasaki, Tomohito, et al. “RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 38, Sept. 2016, pp. 10720–25. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.1523230113.
Yamasaki T, Onishi M, Kim E-J, Cerutti H, Ohama T. RNA-binding protein DUS16 plays an essential role in primary miRNA processing in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2016 Sep;113(38):10720–10725.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

September 2016

Volume

113

Issue

38

Start / End Page

10720 / 10725

Related Subject Headings

  • Ribonuclease III
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional
  • MicroRNAs
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Algal Proteins