RNA-binding proteins articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The core of the telomerase holoenzyme is composed of the reverse transcriptase and the non-coding RNA template. Here the authors identify Pof8 as a new constitutive component of fission yeast telomerase, loss of which causes telomerase assembly defects and critically short telomeres.

    • Diego J. Páez-Moscoso
    • , Lili Pan
    •  & Peter Baumann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The telomerase holoenzyme is minimally composed of the reverse transcriptase and the RNA template. Here the authors identify Lar7 as a member of the full complex that helps to stabilise it and protect telomerase RNA from degradation.

    • Laura C. Collopy
    • , Tracy L. Ware
    •  & Kazunori Tomita

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pachytene piRNAs are abundant piRNAs in mammalian adult testes but their biogenesis pathway is not fully understood. Here, the authors identify TDRD5 as a piRNA biogenesis factor in mice, showing that it binds piRNA precursors and promotes pachytene piRNA production from specific transcript regions.

    • Deqiang Ding
    • , Jiali Liu
    •  & Chen Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The RNA Recognition Motif (RRM) is the most ubiquitous RNA binding domain. Here the authors combined NMR and molecular dynamics simulations and show that the RRM RNA binding surface exists in different states and that a conformational switch of aromatic side-chains fine-tunes sequence specific binding affinities.

    • Nana Diarra dit Konté
    • , Miroslav Krepl
    •  & Frédéric H.-T. Allain

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Translation of aberrant mRNAs causes ribosome stalling and translation arrest, followed by recycling of the stalled ribosome complex. Here the authors show that the Zinc Finger Protein 598 (ZNF598/Hel2) is implicated in sensing faulty translation of prematurely polyadenylated mRNAs through the recognition of AAA codons.

    • Aitor Garzia
    • , Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad
    •  & Nahum Sonenberg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Protein RNA interactions are dynamic and regulated in response to environmental changes. Here the authors describe ‘kinetic CRAC’, an approach that allows time resolved analyses of protein RNA interactions with minute time point resolution and apply it to gain insight into the function of the RNA-binding protein Nab3.

    • Rob van Nues
    • , Gabriele Schweikert
    •  & Sander Granneman

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RNA-binding proteins (RBP) are an emerging group of post-translational regulators. Here the authors show that the RBP vigilin regulates translation of mRNA encoding for proatherogenic proteins—apoB, apoC-III and fibronectin—representing a potential therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases.

    • Mehrpouya B. Mobin
    • , Stefanie Gerstberger
    •  & Markus Stoffel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RNA polymerase I is the central enzyme that synthesizes ribosomal RNA in eukaryotic cells, and its regulation underlies cell growth. Here the authors present a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the Pol I-Rrn3 complex that explains how Rrn3 specifically recognizes Pol I to form an initiation competent complex.

    • Christoph Engel
    • , Jürgen Plitzko
    •  & Patrick Cramer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Early development is controlled by maternally deposited mRNAs and the RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that regulate them. Here the authors describe the identification of a large number of RBPs bound to polyadenylated RNAs in Drosophilaembryos before and after the maternal-to-zygotic transition, revealing changes in RBPs activity during development.

    • Vasiliy O. Sysoev
    • , Bernd Fischer
    •  & Anne Ephrussi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations in the translational activator of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (TACO1) causes cytochrome c oxidase deficiency and Leigh Syndrome in patients. Here, the authors characterize mice with a mutation that causes lack of TACO1 expression, identifying a mouse model that could be useful for preclinical trials.

    • Tara R. Richman
    • , Henrik Spåhr
    •  & Aleksandra Filipovska

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Ternary complex (TC) and eIF4F complex assembly are rate-limiting steps in translation initiation that are regulated by eIF2α phosphorylation and the mTOR/4E-BP pathway. Here the authors show that the protein kinases mTORC1 and CK2 coordinate TC and eIF4F complex assembly through eIF2β to stimulate cell proliferation.

    • Valentina Gandin
    • , Laia Masvidal
    •  & Ivan Topisirovic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RNA-binding proteins are involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of a large number of cellular processes and several recent studies have sought to describe the extent of the RNA-binding proteome. Here, Conrad et al. describe serIC, a stringent approach they apply towards defining the RNA-binding proteome of the mammalian nucleus.

    • Thomas Conrad
    • , Anne-Susann Albrecht
    •  & Ulf Andersson Ørom

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Post-transcriptional control of RNA is important in health and disease. Here, the authors show that the RNA-binding protein Quaking guides pre-mRNA splicing and transcript abundance during monocyte to macrophage differentiation, and that Quaking depletion impairs pro-atherogenic foam cell formation.

    • Ruben G. de Bruin
    • , Lily Shiue
    •  & Eric P. van der Veer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Roquin is an RNA-binding protein that prevents autoimmunity by limiting expression of receptors such as Ox40. Here, the authors identify an RNA structure that they describe as an alternative decay element, and they characterise its interaction with Roquin using structural and biochemical techniques.

    • Robert Janowski
    • , Gitta A. Heinz
    •  & Michael Sattler

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The pre-mRNA splicing factor U2AF65 recognizes 3′ splice sites in human gene transcripts, but the details are not fully understood. Here, the authors report U2AF65 structures and single molecule FRET that reveal mechanistic insights into splice site recognition.

    • Anant A. Agrawal
    • , Enea Salsi
    •  & Clara L. Kielkopf

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The reprogramming of fibroblasts to pluripotent stem cells has been well documented but there is interest in identifying additional factors involved. Here, the authors perform a screen of human kinases and show that the bromodomain protein, BRD3R, can promote reprogramming and suggest a role for this factor in regulating mitosis.

    • Zhicheng Shao
    • , Ruowen Zhang
    •  & Kejin Hu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are implicated in many biological functions. Here the authors expand the human and yeast RNA interactome identifying new and conserved RBPs, several of which with no prior function assigned to RNA biology or structural motifs known to mediate RNA-binding, and suggesting new roles of RNA as modulators of protein function.

    • Benedikt M. Beckmann
    • , Rastislav Horos
    •  & Matthias W. Hentze

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The processing of RNAs transcribed by RNA polymerase II requires a cap-binding complex (CBC), consisting of NCBP1 and NCBP2. Here, the authors report an alternative CBC formed by NCBP1 and a previously uncharacterized protein, NCBP3 that is critical for RNA processing under cellular stress conditions.

    • Anna Gebhardt
    • , Matthias Habjan
    •  & Andreas Pichlmair

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Members of the PUF family of RNA-binding proteins bind multiple mRNAs in vivo. Here the authors show that the S. cerevisiaePuf5p binds targets of varying lengths that correlate with biological functions. The RNA-binding sites adopt different structures to adapt to a fixed protein scaffold.

    • Daniel Wilinski
    • , Chen Qiu
    •  & Marvin Wickens

  • Article
    | Open Access

    G-quadruplexes formed by four guanine bases in a square planar arrangement in telomeres may prevent extension of this region by telomerase. Here, the authors show that telomerase can localize to and partially unwind and extend G-quadruplexes, suggesting an important biological role for G-quadruplexes.

    • Aaron L. Moye
    • , Karina C. Porter
    •  & Tracy M. Bryan

  • Article |

    In mammals there are two Musashi proteins, MSI1 and MSI2, orthologues of the Drosophila protein, with roles in asymmetric stem cell division and cell fate determination. Here the authors report new functions for MSI2 in colorectal cancer using in vitro loss of function and in vivoectopic overexpression.

    • Shan Wang
    • , Ning Li
    •  & Christopher J. Lengner

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Roquin is an RNA-binding protein that promotes the degradation of specific mRNAs and is crucial for the maintenance of peripheral immune tolerance. Here the authors show that, in addition to its target mRNAs, Roquin can bind miR-146a and the RISC component Ago2 to control homeostasis of both RNA species.

    • Monika Srivastava
    • , Guowen Duan
    •  & Carola G. Vinuesa

  • Article |

    Dominant mutations in the RNA-binding protein FUS/TLS cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an adult-onset motor neuron degenerative disease. Here, the authors show that ALS-causative FUS/TLS mutations directly bind the SMN and U1-snRNP complexes, producing both loss and gain of function effects on RNA processing.

    • Shuying Sun
    • , Shuo-Chien Ling
    •  & Don W. Cleveland

  • Article |

    The expression of stress-induced ligands and their recognition by the NKG2D-activating receptor is important for the elimination of virally infected and cancerous cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes. Here, the authors provide insights into the post-transcriptional mechanism regulating the expression of the NKG2D ligand, MICB.

    • Daphna Nachmani
    • , Tony Gutschner
    •  & Ofer Mandelboim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The influenza A virus genome consists of eight RNA segments, which permits genetic reassortment and contributes to the emergence of novel strains with pandemic potential. Here, electron tomography is used to study the three-dimensional structure of ribonucleoprotein complexes within progeny virions.

    • Takeshi Noda
    • , Yukihiko Sugita
    •  & Yoshihiro Kawaoka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    MicroRNAs bind to the 3′-untranslated region of genes to regulate expression. In this study, an RNA-binding protein, RMB38, is shown to selectively regulate the access of some microRNAs to their targets, and control the expression of some p53 target genes.

    • Nicolas Léveillé
    • , Ran Elkon
    •  & Reuven Agami

  • Article |

    Recent work has revealed that the TTAGGG DNA repeats of telomeres are transcribed to form 'TERRA'. In this study, a set of RNA-binding proteins are shown to bind TERRA transcripts, altering the location of these transcripts at telomeres and regulating telomere abundance and length.

    • Isabel López de Silanes
    • , Martina Stagno d'Alcontres
    •  & Maria A Blasco

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