Biology subjects

Rapino, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Rapino, F..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Translatome and translation dynamics analysis of a RiboCancer cell line panel reveals that leukemia-associated Rps15 mutations rewire translation through codon-specific tRNA accommodation defects.

Deletions and point mutations targeting ribosomal proteins (RPs) have been identified in cancer. Yet, their role in translational dysregulation remains poorly understood. We performed an integrated genome-wide translatome analysis (proteome, Ribo-seq and total RNA-seq) as well as RiboMethSeq on an isogenic cell line library modeling the most recurrent RP defects in cancer (Rpl5+/-, Rpl11+/-, Rpl22+/-, Rpl22-/-, Rpl10 R98S, Rps15 P131S and Rps15 H137Y). RP knock-out had minimal effects on translation, whereas RP point mutations induced a significant number of translation efficiency changes, affecting up to 10% of expressed genes in Rps15 mutants associated with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical analyses revealed that the Rps15 mutations destabilize the C-terminal Rps15 domain, affecting the translation elongation cycle dynamics, and deregulating accommodation of aminoacylated tRNAs at the ribosomal A-site. Using Ribo-seq and translation reporter assays, we show that this accommodation defect shows codon specificity, explaining the reduced translation efficiency of genes enriched for these codons in Rps15 mutant cells, such as histones. Notably, genes with reduced translation efficiency in Rps15 mutated cells were enriched for transcriptional regulators such as transcription factor Runx3, resulting in downregulation of Runx3 target genes involved in immune regulation. Altogether, this study provides a comparative map of the translational rewiring driven by the most frequent somatic RP mutations. We provide unprecedented mechanistic insights in the translation defects induced by CLL-associated Rps15 mutations, and reveal an unappreciated cross-talk between translational and transcriptional dysregulation in these RP mutant cells. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=102 SRC="FIGDIR/small/687986v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (19K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@cd2846org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@10f3c49org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@13f1595org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a212df_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Robust induction of functional astrocytes using NGN2 expression in human pluripotent stem cells

Astrocytes play essential roles in normal brain function, with dysfunction implicated in diverse developmental and degenerative disease processes. Emerging evidence of profound species divergent features of astrocytes coupled with the relative inaccessibility of human brain tissue underscore the utility of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) technologies for the generation and study of human astrocytes. However, existing approaches for hPSC-astrocyte generation are typically lengthy, incompletely characterized, or require intermediate purification steps, limiting their utility for multi-cell line, adequately powered functional studies. Here, we establish a rapid and highly scalable method for generating functional human induced astrocytes (hiAs) based upon transient Neurogenin 2 (NGN2) induction of neural progenitor-like cells followed by maturation in astrocyte media, which demonstrate remarkable homogeneity within the population and across 11 independent cell lines in the absence of additional purification steps. These hiAs express canonical astrocyte markers, respond to pro-inflammatory stimuli, exhibit ATP-induced calcium transients and support neuronal maturation in vitro. Moreover, single-cell transcriptomic analyses reveal the generation of highly reproducible cell populations across individual donors, most closely resembling human fetal astrocytes, and highly similar to hPSC-derived astrocytes generated using more complex approaches. Finally, the hiAs capture key molecular hallmarks in a trisomy 21 disease model. Thus, hiAs provide a valuable and practical resource well-suited for study of basic human astrocyte function and dysfunction in disease.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

A simple geometrical model of the electrostatic environment around the catalytic center of the ribosome

The central function of the large subunit of the ribosome is to catalyze peptide bond formation. This biochemical reaction is conducted at the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). Experimental evidence shows that the catalytic activity is affected by the electrostatic environment around the peptidyl transferase center. The electrostatic field originates from the particular 3-dimensional space distribution in the phosphate moieties of the 23S (archea and bacteria) or 28S (eukarya) rRNA of the large ribosomal subunit as well as the funnel shape of the cavity at its connection with the ribosome exit tunnel. Here, we set up a minimal geometrical model fitting the available x-ray solved structure of the ribonucleoproteic cavity around the catalytic center of the large subunit of the ribosome. The purpose of this phenomenological model is to estimate quantitatively the electrostatic potential and electric field that are experienced during the peptidyl transfer reaction. At least two reasons motivate the need for developing this quantification. First, we inquire whether the electric field in this particular catalytic environment, made only of nucleic acids, is of the same order of magnitude as the one prevailing in catalytic centers of the proteic enzymes counterparts. Second, the protein synthesis rate is dependent on the nature of the amino acid sequentially incorporated in the nascent chain. The activation energy of the catalytic reaction and its detailed kinetics are expected to be dependent on the mechanical work exerted on the amino acids by the electric field, especially when one of the four charged amino acid residues (R, K, E, D) is newly incorporated in the nascent chain. Physical values of the electric field will provide quantitative knowledge of mechanical work, activation energy and kinetics of the peptide bond formation catalysed by the ribosome.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2020

Ribosome Exit Tunnel Electrostatics

The impact of the ribosome exit tunnel electrostatics on the protein elongation rate or on the forces acting upon the nascent polypeptide chain are currently not fully elucidated. In the past, researchers have measured the electrostatic potential inside the ribosome polypeptide exit tunnel at a limited number of spatial points, at least in prokaryotes. Here, we present a basic electrostatic model of the exit tunnel of the ribosome, providing a quantitative physical description of the tunnel interaction with the nascent proteins at all centro-axial points inside the tunnel. We show how the tunnel geometry causes a positive potential difference between the tunnel exit and entry points which impedes positively charged amino acid residues from progressing through the tunnel, affecting the elongation rate in a range of minus 40% to plus 85% when compared to the average elongation rate. The time spent by the ribosome to decode the genetic encrypted message is constrained accordingly. We quantitatively derived, at single residue resolution, the axial forces acting on the nascent peptide from its particular sequence embedded in the tunnel. The model sheds light on how the experimental data point measurements of the potential are linked to the local structural chemistry of the inner wall and the shape and size of the tunnel. The model consistently connects experimental observations coming from different fields in molecular biology, structural and physical chemistry, biomechanics, synthetic and multi-omics biology. Our model should be a valuable tool to gain insight into protein synthesis dynamics, translational control and into the role of the ribosomes mechanochemistry in the co-translational protein folding.

biophysics↗