Blanchard, M.-P. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2020

TopBP1 assembles nuclear condensates to switch on ATR signalling.

ATR checkpoint signalling is crucial for cellular responses to DNA replication impediments. Using an optogenetic platform, we show that TopBP1, the main activator of ATR, self-assembles extensively to yield micron-sized condensates. These opto-TopBP1 condensates are functional entities organized in tightly packed clusters of spherical nano-particles. TopBP1 condensates are reversible, occasionally fuse and co-localise with TopBP1 partner proteins. We provide evidence that TopBP1 condensation is a molecular switch that amplifies ATR activity to phosphorylate checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) and slowdown replication forks. Single amino acid substitutions of key residues in the intrinsically disordered ATR-activation domain disrupt TopBP1 condensation and, consequently, ATR/Chk1 signalling. In physiologic salt concentration and pH, purified TopBP1 undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro. We propose that the actuation mechanism of ATR signalling is the assembly of TopBP1 condensates driven by highly regulated multivalent and cooperative interactions.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

A Sequence determinant in 3'UTR of mRNAs for Nuclear Retention by Paraspeckles

Paraspeckles are nuclear membraneless structures composed of a long non-coding RNA, Nuclear-Enriched-Abundant-Transcript-1 and RNA binding proteins, which associate numerous mRNAs. It is therefore believed that their cellular function is to sequester in the nucleus their associated proteins and/or target mRNAs. However, little is known about the molecular determinant in mRNA targets that allow their association to paraspeckles except that inverted repeats of Alu sequences (IRAlu) present in 3UTR of mRNAs may allow this association. While in a previous study we established the list of paraspeckle target RNAs in a rat pituitary cell line, we didnt find however, inverted repeated SINEs, the rat equivalent of primate IRAlus in 3UTR of these RNAs. By developing a candidate gene strategy, we selected a paraspeckle target gene, namely calreticulin mRNA, and we searched for other potential RNA recruitment elements in its 3UTR, since 3UTRs usually contain the sequence recognition for nuclear localization. We found a 15-nucleotide sequence, present as a tandem repeat in 3UTR of this mRNA, which is involved in the nuclear retention by paraspeckles. While being not overrepresented in the 3UTR of the paraspeckle target RNAs, this recruitment element was present in near 30% of all 3UTR mRNAs. In addition, since an oligonucleotide containing this sequence binds the paraspeckle protein component HNRNPK, it is proposed that HNRNPK may constitute a bridging protein between paraspeckles and target mRNAs.

molecular biology↗