Over one hundred types of chemical modifications have been characterized in cellular RNAs. Pseudouridines (Ψ) and 2’-O-methylation of ribose sugars are the two most widespread modifications present in rRNAs, tRNAs and snRNAs. These modifications can be either guide-RNA mediated or RNA-independent (enzyme only). The RNAs that guide pseudouridylations are called box H/ACA RNAs and the ones that carry out 2’-O-methylations modifications are called box C/D RNAs. Previously, we identified that sR-h45 is the box H/ACA guide RNA responsible for Ψ1940, 1942 and 2605 formation in 23S rRNA of Haloferax volcanii. This RNA has two stem loops – SL1 and SL2. SL1 acts as the guide for Ψ2605 formation and SL2 is responsible for guiding Ψ1940 and Ψ1942. We found that SL2 sequentially guides Ψ1940 and Ψ1942 formation in the unpaired "UNUN" target. Ψ1942 is produced after and only if Ψ1940 is produced. The requirement for conserved ACA box was determined by using variants of these two stem loops. We found that the ACA motif is not required either in vivo or in vitro for the activity of the typical variants of both SL1 and SL2 but required for the activity of the atypical variants of these guides. Cbf5 is the pseudouridine synthase involved in this box H/ACA RNA guided process. Mutants of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii Cbf5 were used with both typical and atypical guide variants in vitro and certain residues were found to be important only for the atypical reactions.We have also studied sR-h41, which is a unique single guide box C/D guide responsible for methylation of G1934 position of 23S rRNA of Haloferax volcanii. We have done in vitro assembly reactions using mutants of sR-h41 assembled with its cognate proteins from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii to study the structural determinants needed to convert it to a dual guide RNA. The assembly pattern of the core proteins on the conserved box C/D and box C’/D motifs steer the dual guide nature of these archaeal box C/D guide RNAs.Another aim of this study was to determine the role of pseudouridine synthases (Pus enzymes) for Ψ55 formation in mammalian tRNAs. We find that three Pus enzymes – TruB1 (in the nucleus), TruB2 (in the mitochondria) and Pus10 (in the cytoplasm) are responsible for this modification depending on the specific sub-cellular location in the cell. These enzymes exhibit different structural requirement for Ψ55 formation that are located on the TΨC loop of tRNAs. A subset of tRNAs like tRNAs for Trp and Gln are protected from the action of TRUB1 in the nucleus by binding to the nuclear version of Pus10 that lacks Ψ55 activity. Ψ55 in this subset of tRNAs is produced by the cytoplasmic version of Pus10.While studying pseudouridylation functions of Pus10, we also found that Pus10 regulates G1/S cell cycle progression in PC3 cells. It does so by directly repressing another protein c-Rel, that is a positive regulator of Cyclin D1 protein. Cyclin D1 is known to play a central role in transition of cell from G1 to S phase during cell cycle progression. c-Rel also regulates the levels of PUS10 by an unknown mechanism.

No description available.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are one of the most abundant and evolutionary ancient group of small non-coding RNAs. Their main function is to target chemical modifications of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and small nuclear (snRNAs). They fall into two classes, box C/D snoRNAs and box H/ACA snoRNAs, which are clearly distinguished by conserved sequence motifs and the type of modification that they govern. The box H/ACA snoRNAs are responsible for targeting pseudouridylation sites and the box C/D snoRNAs for directing 2’-O-methylation of ribonucleotides. A subclass that localize to the Cajal bodies, termed scaRNAs, are responsible for methylation and pseudouridylation of snRNAs. In addition an amazing diversity of non-canonical functions of individual snoRNAs arose. The modification patterns in rRNAs and snRNAs are retained during evolution making it even possible to project them from yeast onto human. The stringent conservation of modification sites and the slow evolution of rRNAs and snRNAs contradicts the rapid evolution of snoRNA sequences. Recent studies that incorporate high-throughput sequencing experiments still identify undetected snoRNAs even in well studied organisms as human. The snoRNAbase, which has been the standard database for human snoRNAs has not been updated ince 2006 and misses these new data. Along with the lack of a centralized data collection across species, which incorporates also snoRNA class specific characteristics the need to integrate distributed data from literature and databases into a comprehensive snoRNA set arose. Although several snoRNA studies included pro forma target predictions in individual species and more and more studies focus on non-canonical functions of subclasses a systematic survey on the guiding function and especially functional homologies of snoRNAs was not available. To establish a sound set of snoRNAs a computational snoRNA annotation pipeline, named snoStrip that identifies homologous snoRNAs in related species was employed. For large scale investigation of the snoRNA function, state-of-the-art target pedictions were performed with our software RNAsnoop and PLEXY. Further, a new measure the Interaction Conservation Index (ICI) was developed to evaluate the conservation of snoRNA function. The snoStrip pipeline was applied to vertebrate species, where the genome sequence has been available. In addition, it was used in several ncRNA annotation studies (48 avian, spotted gar) of newly assembled genomes to contribute the snoRNA genes. Detailed target analysis of the new vertebrate snoRNA set revealed that in general functions of homologous snoRNAs are evolutionarily stable, thus, members of the same snoRNA family guide equivalent modifications. The conservation of snoRNA sequences is high at target binding regions while the remaining sequence varies significantly. In addition to elucidating principles of correlated evolution it was possible, with the help of the ICI measure, to assign functions to previously orphan snoRNAs and to associate snoRNAs as partners to known but so far unexplained chemical modifications. As further pattern redundant guiding became apparent. For many modification sites more than one snoRNA encodes the appropriate antisense element (ASE), which could ensure constant modification through snoRNAs that have different expression patterns. Furthermore, predictions of snoRNA functions in conjunction with sequence conservation could identify distant homologies. Due to the high overall entropy of snoRNA sequences, such relationships are hard to detect by means of sequence homology search methods alone. The snoRNA interaction network was further expanded through novel snoRNAs that were detected in data from high-throughput experiments in human and mouse. Through subsequent target analysis the new snoRNAs could immediately explain known modifications that had no appropriate snoRNA guide assigned before. In a further study a full catalog of expressed snoRNAs in human was provided. Beside canonical snoRNAs also recent findings like AluACAs, sno-lncRNAs and extraordinary short SNORD-like transcripts were taken into account. Again the target analysis workflow identified undetected connections between snoRNA guides and modifications. Especially some species/clade specific interactions of SNORD-like genes emerged that seem to act as bona fide snoRNA guides for rRNA and snRNA modifications. For all high confident new snoRNA genes identified during this work official gene names were requested from the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) avoiding further naming confusion.

Nop17p e Rsa1p são proteínas nucleolares em Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as quais foram identificadas pela sua associação a dois complexos celulares: os snoRNPs de box C/D, através de interação com as subunidades Nop58p e Snu13p, respectivamente, e o R2TP/Hsp90p. Nop17p parece ser responsável por direcionar a chaperona Hsp90p durante a montagem dos snoRNPs, e a associação de Rsa1p a estes complexos ainda não tem uma função estabelecida. Neste trabalho, nós mostramos que a ausência de ambas as proteínas afetam a estabilidade da proteína Nop58p dos snoRNPs e afetam a localização do snoRNA U3. Em relação à ordem de interação das proteínas do core de snoRNps de box C/D, Nop17p associa-se de maneira transiente a Nop1p/Snu13p, seguida da ligação de Nop58p ao complexo. Quanto à rede de interação do R2TP, obtivemos o mutante Nop17(N307S), que não mais interage com Tah1p. Este mutante interage com a subunidade Rvb1p do R2TP, mas não se associa com outras proteínas parceiras de Nop17p(WT). Apesar da importância da interação Nop17p-Tah1p, sua interrupção não afeta o crescimento celular, o que sugere a possibilidade de outro fator estar envolvido na associação entre Nop17p e Hsp90p. / Nop17p and Rsa1p are Saccharomyces cerevisiae nucleolar proteins, which were identified for its association with two cellular complexes: box C/D snoRNPs, through interaction with the core subunits Nop58p and Snu13p respectively, and the R2TP/Hsp90p. Nop17p seems to be responsible for directing Hsp90p to the assembly of snoRNPs. The Rsa1p association to these complexes still have no defined function. In this work, we showed that both proteins absence affect Nop58p stability and causes a mislocalization of the U3 snoRNA. Relativel to the order of assembly of the box C/D snoRNPs core proteins, Nop17p associates transiently with Nop1p/Snu13p, followed by the Nop58p joining to the complex. To study in more detail the protein interactions within the R2TP complex, we obtained the Nop17(N307S) mutant, which no longer interacts withTah1p, but still interacts withRvb1p, another R2TP subunit. Nop17(N307S) does not interact with other Nop17p(WT) partners. Despite the importance of the Nop17p-Tah1p association, the disruption of this interaction does not affect cell growth, suggesting the involvement of a second factor on the Nop17p and Hsp90p association.

A síntese de ribossomos é um dos principais processos celulares e na levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae são necessários 75 snoRNAs e mais de 200 proteínas não-ribossomais para que o ribossomo seja corretamente formado. Para o processamento do precursor dos RNAs ribossomais, chamado pré-rRNA 35S, ocorre o pareamento deste com o U3 snoRNA e outros snoRNAs e diversas proteínas se associam de maneira orquestrada e transitória, formando o complexo SSU processomo. Tal complexo é necessário para o processamento da região 5\' do pré-rRNA 35S e para a correta montagem e maturação da subunidade menor ribossomal. Estudos anteriores do nosso laboratório identificaram a proteína nucleolar Utp25, essencial em S. cerevisiae, como integrante do complexo SSU processomo. Foi demonstrado que a depleção de Utp25 afeta a formação da subunidade menor ribossomal e que Utp25 interage com as proteínas Sas10 e Mpp10, componentes do SSU processomo, além de Utp25 co-imunoprecipitar o snoRNA U3. A partir desses dados, este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar interações da proteína Utp25 com outros componentes do complexo SSU processomo e investigar o papel de tais interações na formação e funcionamento do mesmo. Para purificação do complexo SSU processomo nós utilizamos o método Tandem Affinity Purification-tag (TAP-tag) utilizando TAP-Utp25 como isca. Após análise do purificado resultante por espectrometria de massas, obtivemos como resultado as proteínas Rrp5, Snu13 e Nop56, sendo as duas últimas pertencentes ao subcomplexo U3 snoRNP. / The ribosome synthesis is one of the main cellular processes and in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae 75 snoRNAs and more than 200 non-ribosomal proteins are involved in ribosome maturation. During processing, the pre-rRNA 35S base pairs with the U3 snoRNA and other snoRNAs and several proteins associate, forming the SSU processome complex. This complex is required for the processing of the pre-rRNA 35S 5\' region and for the correct assembly and maturation of the ribosome small subunit. Previous studies from our laboratory identified the nucleolar protein Utp25, essential in S. cerevisiae, as a member of the SSU processome complex. Utp25 depletion affects small ribosomal subunit formation. Utp25 interacts with proteins Sas10 and Mpp10, components of the SSU processome, and Utp25 co-immunoprecipitates U3 snoRNA. From these data, this study aimed to identify Utp25 interactions with other components of the SSU processome complex and to investigate the role of these interactions in this complex formation and function. For the SSU processome complex purification we used the Tandem Affinity Purification-tag method (TAP-tag) and TAP-Utp25 as the bait. After the resulting purified analysis by mass spectrometry, we obtained as results the Rrp5, Snu13 and Nop56 proteins, the last two being U3 snoRNP subcomplex components.

Chez les eucaryotes, la biogenèse des ribosomes débute dans le nucléole par la maturation et la modification des ARN ribosomiques (ARNr), et fait intervenir des centaines de particules ribonucléoprotéiques (RNP) distinctes, comme les petites RNP nucléolaires (snoRNP) à boîtes C/D, qui portent une activité méthyl transférase ciblée sur la position 2’-OH des riboses. Leur biogenèse nécessite l’intervention transitoire de facteurs protéiques constituant une machinerie d’assemblage spécifique. Mon travail de thèse a visé à étudier le rôle fonctionnel de deux de ces facteurs chez la levure S. cerevisiae les protéines Hit1 et Bcd1. Hit1p avait été trouvée au laboratoire être impliquée dans la biogenèse des snoRNP à boîtes C/D, et il était connu que l’expression de Bcd1p est essentielle à la viabilité cellulaire et pour la stabilité des snoRNA à boîtes C/D. Lors de ce travail, nous avons retrouvé le domaine fonctionnel de Hit1p et identifié les acides aminés impliqués dans l’interaction avec Rsa1p, un autre facteur d’assemblage. Par une approche similaire, nous avons recherché les domaines nécessaires à la fonctionnalité de Bcd1p. Le mécanisme par lequel Bcd1p influence spécifiquement les taux de snoRNA à boîtes C/D reste inconnu, mais au cours de ce travail j’ai identifié un nouveau partenaire potentiel pour cette protéine - la chaperonne d’histone Rtt106p. La dernière partie de mon travail a visé à rechercher le lien fonctionnel entre Rtt106p et l’expression des snoRNA à boîtes C/D / In eukaryotes, ribosome biogenesis begins in the nucleolus, by maturation and modification of ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) and involves hundreds of distinct ribonucleoprotein particles, like box C/D small nucleolar RNPs (snoRNPs). Their assembly requires the transient intervention of protein factors constituting a specific assembly machinery. My PhD work aimed to investigate the functional role of two such factors, Bcd1p and Hit1p, in the yeast S. cerevisiae. Hit1p involvement in box C/D snoRNP biogenesis was revealed in our lab, and it was known that Bcd1p expression is essential to cell viability and box C/D snoRNA stability. During this work, we identified the functional domain of Hit1p, and the aminoacids involved in its interaction with Rsa1, another assembly factor. By a similar approach we identified the functional domains of Bcd1p. The mechanism by which Bcd1p specifically influences box C/D snoRNA levels is unknown. However, I identified a potentially new partner for this protein – the Rtt106p histone chaperone. The last part of my work aimed to search for a functional link between this histone chaperone and box C/D snoRNA expression

A síntese de ribossomos é um dos principais processos celulares e na levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae são necessários 75 snoRNAs e mais de 200 proteínas não-ribossomais para que o ribossomo seja corretamente formado. Para o processamento do precursor dos RNAs ribossomais, chamado pré-rRNA 35S, ocorre o pareamento deste com o U3 snoRNA e outros snoRNAs e diversas proteínas se associam de maneira orquestrada e transitória, formando o complexo SSU processomo. Tal complexo é necessário para o processamento da região 5\' do pré-rRNA 35S e para a correta montagem e maturação da subunidade menor ribossomal. Estudos anteriores do nosso laboratório identificaram a proteína nucleolar Utp25, essencial em S. cerevisiae, como integrante do complexo SSU processomo. Foi demonstrado que a depleção de Utp25 afeta a formação da subunidade menor ribossomal e que Utp25 interage com as proteínas Sas10 e Mpp10, componentes do SSU processomo, além de Utp25 co-imunoprecipitar o snoRNA U3. A partir desses dados, este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar interações da proteína Utp25 com outros componentes do complexo SSU processomo e investigar o papel de tais interações na formação e funcionamento do mesmo. Para purificação do complexo SSU processomo nós utilizamos o método Tandem Affinity Purification-tag (TAP-tag) utilizando TAP-Utp25 como isca. Após análise do purificado resultante por espectrometria de massas, obtivemos como resultado as proteínas Rrp5, Snu13 e Nop56, sendo as duas últimas pertencentes ao subcomplexo U3 snoRNP. / The ribosome synthesis is one of the main cellular processes and in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae 75 snoRNAs and more than 200 non-ribosomal proteins are involved in ribosome maturation. During processing, the pre-rRNA 35S base pairs with the U3 snoRNA and other snoRNAs and several proteins associate, forming the SSU processome complex. This complex is required for the processing of the pre-rRNA 35S 5\' region and for the correct assembly and maturation of the ribosome small subunit. Previous studies from our laboratory identified the nucleolar protein Utp25, essential in S. cerevisiae, as a member of the SSU processome complex. Utp25 depletion affects small ribosomal subunit formation. Utp25 interacts with proteins Sas10 and Mpp10, components of the SSU processome, and Utp25 co-immunoprecipitates U3 snoRNA. From these data, this study aimed to identify Utp25 interactions with other components of the SSU processome complex and to investigate the role of these interactions in this complex formation and function. For the SSU processome complex purification we used the Tandem Affinity Purification-tag method (TAP-tag) and TAP-Utp25 as the bait. After the resulting purified analysis by mass spectrometry, we obtained as results the Rrp5, Snu13 and Nop56 proteins, the last two being U3 snoRNP subcomplex components.

Nop17p e Rsa1p são proteínas nucleolares em Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as quais foram identificadas pela sua associação a dois complexos celulares: os snoRNPs de box C/D, através de interação com as subunidades Nop58p e Snu13p, respectivamente, e o R2TP/Hsp90p. Nop17p parece ser responsável por direcionar a chaperona Hsp90p durante a montagem dos snoRNPs, e a associação de Rsa1p a estes complexos ainda não tem uma função estabelecida. Neste trabalho, nós mostramos que a ausência de ambas as proteínas afetam a estabilidade da proteína Nop58p dos snoRNPs e afetam a localização do snoRNA U3. Em relação à ordem de interação das proteínas do core de snoRNps de box C/D, Nop17p associa-se de maneira transiente a Nop1p/Snu13p, seguida da ligação de Nop58p ao complexo. Quanto à rede de interação do R2TP, obtivemos o mutante Nop17(N307S), que não mais interage com Tah1p. Este mutante interage com a subunidade Rvb1p do R2TP, mas não se associa com outras proteínas parceiras de Nop17p(WT). Apesar da importância da interação Nop17p-Tah1p, sua interrupção não afeta o crescimento celular, o que sugere a possibilidade de outro fator estar envolvido na associação entre Nop17p e Hsp90p. / Nop17p and Rsa1p are Saccharomyces cerevisiae nucleolar proteins, which were identified for its association with two cellular complexes: box C/D snoRNPs, through interaction with the core subunits Nop58p and Snu13p respectively, and the R2TP/Hsp90p. Nop17p seems to be responsible for directing Hsp90p to the assembly of snoRNPs. The Rsa1p association to these complexes still have no defined function. In this work, we showed that both proteins absence affect Nop58p stability and causes a mislocalization of the U3 snoRNA. Relativel to the order of assembly of the box C/D snoRNPs core proteins, Nop17p associates transiently with Nop1p/Snu13p, followed by the Nop58p joining to the complex. To study in more detail the protein interactions within the R2TP complex, we obtained the Nop17(N307S) mutant, which no longer interacts withTah1p, but still interacts withRvb1p, another R2TP subunit. Nop17(N307S) does not interact with other Nop17p(WT) partners. Despite the importance of the Nop17p-Tah1p association, the disruption of this interaction does not affect cell growth, suggesting the involvement of a second factor on the Nop17p and Hsp90p association.

Background: Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are one of the most ancient families amongst non-protein-coding RNAs. They are ubiquitous in Archaea and Eukarya but absent in bacteria. Their main function is to target chemical modifications of ribosomal RNAs. They fall into two classes, box C/D snoRNAs and box H/ACA snoRNAs, which are clearly distinguished by conserved sequence motifs and the type of chemical modification that they govern. Similarly to microRNAs, snoRNAs appear in distinct families of homologs that affect homologous targets. In animals, snoRNAs and their evolution have been studied in much detail. In plants, however, their evolution has attracted comparably little attention. Results: In order to chart the phylogenetic distribution of individual snoRNA families in plants, we applied a sophisticated approach for identifying homologs of known plant snoRNAs across the plant kingdom. In response to the relatively fast evolution of snoRNAs, information on conserved sequence boxes, target sequences, and secondary structure is combined to identify additional snoRNAs. We identified 296 families of snoRNAs in 24 species and traced their evolution throughout the plant kingdom. Many of the plant snoRNA families comprise paralogs. We also found that targets are well-conserved for most snoRNA families. Conclusions: The sequence conservation of snoRNAs is sufficient to establish homologies between phyla. The degree of this conservation tapers off, however, between land plants and algae. Plant snoRNAs are frequently organized in highly conserved spatial clusters. As a resource for further investigations we provide carefully curated and annotated alignments for each snoRNA family under investigation.

Les ARNs H/ACA remplissent des fonctions variées dans la cellule. Ils servent d'ARNs<br />guides pour les conversions d'uridines en pseudouridines des ARNs ribosomiques mais<br />également des snARNs du spliceosome. Les ARNs H/ACA nucléolaires, les snoARNs,<br />guident les modifications des ARNr alors que ce sont des ARNs H/ACA qui s'accumulent<br />dans les Cajal bodies, les scaARNs, qui guident les modifications des snARNs du<br />spliceosome transcrits par l'ARN polymérase II. Nous avons montré par une large analyse<br />mutationnelle d'un ARN chimérique artificiel que la localisation des scaARNs dans les Cajal<br />bodies ne dépendait que d'un court motif de quatre nucléotides situé au niveau des boucles<br />terminales 5' et 3' du domaine H/ACA et appelé « boîte CAB ». La boîte CAB est conservée<br />chez de nombreux organismes et est nécessaire et suffisante à la localisation des scaARNs<br />dans les Cajal bodies. De façon plus inattendue, l'ARN de la télomérase, hTR, responsable de<br />l'élongation des télomères lorsqu'il est associé à la reverse transcriptase hTERT, comporte<br />également un domaine scaARN dans sa partie 3'. Ce domaine H/ACA possède en effet une<br />boîte CAB, située au niveau de la tige boucle 3' du domaine H/ACA, qui est responsable de la<br />localisation de hTR dans les Cajal bodies. Nous avons voulu comprendre la signification<br />biologique de cette accumulation dans les Cajal bodies tout au long du cycle cellulaire par une<br />approche d'hybridation in situ et d'immunofluorescence. L'étude de la dynamique<br />intranucléaire de hTR par microscopie à fluorescence nous a permis de mettre en évidence un<br />rôle de hTR, associé aux Cajal bodies, dans la régulation de l'élongation des télomères. Les<br />Cajal bodies pourraient en effet délivrer hTR, potentiellement associé à hTERT, directement<br />au niveau des télomères.<br />Nous nous sommes intéressés dans un deuxième temps, à l'expression et à la maturation des<br />sno/scaARNs H/ACA introniques. Alors que plusieurs travaux mettent en évidence<br />l'existence d'une synergie entre la machinerie d'épissage et la machinerie d'assemblage des<br />snoRNPs C/D, nos résultats montrent qu'au contraire, l'épissage et l'assemblage de la<br />particule H/ACA chez l'homme sont deux évènements indépendants. Nous apportons<br />également l'évidence que l'expression correcte des ARNs H/ACA nécessite une transcription<br />par l'ARN polymérase II et que la particule H/ACA s'associe très précocement au niveau du<br />pré-ARNm.