Biology subjects

König, J.

Publications and source records attributed to König, J..

8 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Granule microenvironment regulates the dual functions of FMR1

Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) is an evolutionarily conserved RNA binding protein with important functions in cognition and female reproduction, and its disruption is associated with neurodevelopmental and reproductive disorders including the Fragile X syndrome. FMR1 is best known for its role as a translation repressor. However, several recent studies also suggest a role of FMR1 as a translation enhancer raising fundamental questions about the molecular regulation of these opposing functions. In this study, we identify FMR1 as part of the oskar mRNA-protein complex in the Drosophila oocyte and study the role of FMR1 as a translational enhancer of oskar. We provide the molecular mechanism for the dual functions of FMR1 and show that the two major RNA-binding domains of FMR1, the KH domains and the RGG box, play distinct separable roles in regulating translation. The KH domains enhance translation of mRNAs while the RGG box containing C-terminal domain (CTD) is required to repress translation. We further show that the condensation propensity of FMR1 containing granules regulates the two antagonistic functions, such that phase separation by FMR1-CTD creates the molecular microenvironment necessary for the repressive activity, whereas reduction in phase separation is associated with increased translation. Our findings highlight the importance of biomolecular condensates not just as a means of molecular compartmentalization but as a fundamental regulatory principle that dictates the functional output of modular protein domains.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Natural aging drives a subclinical cardiovascular phenotype in a non-human primate

Aging is an inevitable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Profound understanding of mechanisms underlying the early stages of cardiovascular aging is essential for the development of novel therapeutics. Therefore, animal models which closely reflect the human condition are highly sought after. Here, we investigated natural cardiovascular aging in a non-human primate, comparing healthy young-adult and aged common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Despite preservation of most cardiac functional parameters in aged animals, significant histological alterations were found including fibrosis and microvascular rarefaction. Molecular phenotyping by single-nuclei RNA-sequencing revealed activation of cardiac stress, pro-inflammatory and fibrotic gene programs in aged hearts. Importantly, proteomic analysis of cardiac extracellular vesicles revealed a cardioprotective cargo in young animals while functionally demonstrating pro-angiogenic properties on human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells. Finally, large vessel atherosclerosis was strikingly evident in aged animals and elucidated by bulk RNA-sequencing. Overall, the aging marmoset offers a great potential for translational cardiovascular research.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

High-throughput mutagenesis identifies mutations and RNA binding proteins controlling CD19 splicing and CART-19 therapy resistance

During CART-19 immunotherapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL), many patients relapse due to loss of the cognate CD19 epitope. Since epitope loss can be caused by aberrant CD19 exon 2 processing, we herein investigate the regulatory code that controls CD19 splicing. We combine high-throughput mutagenesis with mathematical modelling to quantitatively disentangle the effects of all mutations in the region comprising CD19 exons 1-3. Thereupon, we identify ~200 single point mutations that alter CD19 splicing and thus could predispose B-ALL patients to CART-19 resistance. Furthermore, we report almost 100 previously unknown splice isoforms that emerge from cryptic splice sites and likely encode non-functional CD19 proteins. We further identify cis-regulatory elements and trans-acting RNA-binding proteins that control CD19 splicing (e.g., PTBP1 and SF3B4) and validate that loss of these factors leads to enhanced CD19 mis-splicing. Our dataset represents a comprehensive resource for potential prognostic factors predicting success of CART-19 therapy. HighlightsO_LIMutations in relapsed CART-19 patients lead to CD19 mis-splicing C_LIO_LIHigh-throughput mutagenesis uncovers ~200 single point mutations with a potential role in CART-19 therapy resistance C_LIO_LIMany mutations generate non-functional CD19 proteins by activating cryptic splice sites C_LIO_LIRNA-binding proteins such as PTBP1 are key to the expression of properly spliced, CART-19 immunotherapy-sensitive isoforms C_LI

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2021

An improved iCLIP protocol

Crosslinking and Immunoprecipitation (CLIP) is a powerful technique to obtain transcriptome-wide maps of in vivo protein-RNA interactions, which are important to understand the post-transcriptional mechanisms mediated by RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Many variant CLIP protocols have been developed to improve the efficiency and convenience of cDNA library preparation. Here we describe an improved individual nucleotide resolution CLIP protocol (iiCLIP), which can be completed within 4 days from UV crosslinking to libraries for sequencing. For benchmarking, we directly compared PTBP1 iiCLIP libraries with the iCLIP2 protocol produced under standardised conditions, and with public eCLIP and iCLIP PTBP1 data. We visualised enriched motifs surrounding the identified crosslink positions and RNA maps of these crosslinks around the alternative exons regulated by PTBP1. Notably, motif enrichment was higher in iiCLIP and iCLIP2 in comparison to public eCLIP and iCLIP, and we show how this impacts the specificity of RNA maps. In conclusion, iiCLIP is technically convenient and efficient, and enables production of highly specific datasets for identifying RBP binding sites.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Loss of NPC1 enhances phagocytic uptake and impairs lipid trafficking in microglia

Niemann-Pick type C disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder mainly caused by mutations in Npc1, resulting in abnormal late endosomal/lysosomal lipid storage. Although microgliosis is a prominent pathological feature, consequences of NPC1 loss on microglial function remain uncharacterized. Here, we provide an in-depth characterization of microglial proteomic signatures and phenotypes in a NPC1-deficient (Npc1-/-) murine model and patient blood-derived macrophages. We demonstrate enhanced phagocytic uptake and impaired lipid trafficking in Npc1-/- microglia that precede neuronal death. Loss of NPC1 compromises microglial developmental functions as revealed by increased synaptic pruning and deficient myelin turnover. Undigested myelin accumulates within multi-vesicular bodies of Npc1-/- microglia while lysosomal degradation remains preserved. To translate our findings to human disease, we generated novel ex vivo assays using patient macrophages that displayed similar proteomic disease signatures and lipid trafficking defects as murine Npc1-/- microglia. Thus, peripheral macrophages provide a novel promising clinical tool for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic efficacy in NPC patients. Our study underscores an essential role for NPC1 in immune cells and implies microglial therapeutic potential.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

The RNA-binding ubiquitin ligase MKRN1 functions in ribosome-associated quality control of poly(A)-translation

Cells have evolved quality control mechanisms to ensure protein homeostasis by detecting and degrading aberrant mRNAs and proteins. A common source of aberrant mRNAs is premature polyadenylation, which can result in non-functional protein products. Translating ribosomes that encounter poly(A) sequences are terminally stalled, followed by ribosome recycling and decay of the truncated nascent polypeptide via the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC). Here, we demonstrate that the conserved RNA-binding E3 ubiquitin ligase Makorin Ring Finger Protein 1 (MKRN1) promotes ribosome stalling at poly(A) sequences during RQC. We show that MKRN1 interacts with the cytoplasmic poly(A)-binding protein (PABP) and is positioned upstream of poly(A) tails in mRNAs. Ubiquitin remnant profiling uncovers PABP and ribosomal protein RPS10, as well as additional translational regulators as main ubiquitylation substrates of MKRN1. We propose that MKRN1 serves as a first line of poly(A) recognition at the mRNA level to prevent production of erroneous proteins, thus maintaining proteome integrity.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Makorin1 controls embryonic patterning by alleviating Bruno-mediated repression of oskar translation

Makorins are evolutionary conserved proteins that contain C3H-type zinc finger modules and a RING E3 ubiquitin ligase domain. In Drosophila maternal Makorin 1 (Mkrn1) has been linked to embryonic patterning and germ cell specification. Here, we show that Mkrn1 is required for translational activation of oskar, whose product is critical for axis specification and germ plasm assembly. We demonstrate that Mkrn1 interacts with poly(A) binding protein (pAbp) and binds osk 3 UTR in a region adjacent to A-rich sequences. This binding site also overlaps with Bruno (Bru) responsive elements (BREs), which regulate osk translation. We observe increased association of the translational repressor Bru with osk mRNA upon depletion of Mkrn1, implying that the two proteins compete for osk binding. Consistently, reducing Bru dosage partially rescues viability and Osk protein level in ovaries from Mkrn1 females. We conclude that Mkrn1 controls embryonic patterning and germ cell formation by specifically activating osk translation via displacing Bru from its 3 UTR.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2018

GTSF-1 is required for the formation of a functional RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase complex in C. elegans

In every domain of life, Argonaute proteins and their associated small RNAs regulate gene expression. Despite great conservation of Argonaute proteins throughout evolution, many proteins acting in small RNA pathways are not widely conserved. Gametocyte-specific factor 1 (Gtsf1) proteins, characterized by two tandem CHHC zinc fingers and an unstructured, acidic C-terminal tail, are conserved in animals and act in small RNA pathways. In fly and mouse, they are required for fertility and have been shown to interact with Piwi clade Argonautes. We identified T06A10.3 as the Caenorhabditis elegans Gtsf1 homolog and named it gtsf-1. Given its conserved nature and roles in Piwi-mediated gene silencing, we sought out to characterize GTSF-1 in the context of the small RNA pathways of C. elegans. Like its homologs, GTSF-1 is required for normal fertility. Surprisingly, we report that GTSF-1 is not required for Piwi-mediated gene silencing. Instead, gtsf-1 mutants show strong depletion of a class of endogenous small RNAs, known as 26G-RNAs, and fully phenocopy mutants lacking RRF-3, the RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase that synthesizes 26G-RNAs. We show, both in vivo and in vitro, that GTSF-1 specifically and robustly interacts with RRF-3 via its tandem CHHC zinc fingers. Furthermore, we demonstrate that GTSF-1 is required for the assembly of a larger RRF-3 and DCR-1-containing complex, also known as ERIC, thereby allowing for 26G-RNA generation. We propose that GTSF-1 homologs may similarly act to drive the assembly of larger complexes that subsequently act in small RNA production and/or in imposing small RNA-mediated silencing activities.

molecular biology↗