ADBP-1 regulates an ADAR RNA-editing enzyme to antagonize RNA-interference-mediated gene silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans

Genetics. 2008 Oct;180(2):785-96. doi: 10.1534/genetics.108.093310. Epub 2008 Sep 9.

Abstract

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate gene silencing through evolutionarily conserved pathways. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the siRNA/miRNA pathways are also known to affect transgene expression. To identify genes that regulate the efficiencies of the siRNA/miRNA pathways, we used the expression level of a transgene as an indicator of gene silencing and isolated a transgene-silencing mutant, adbp-1 (ADR-2 binding protein). The adbp-1 mutation caused transgene silencing in hypodermal and intestinal cells in a cell-autonomous manner, depending on the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. The adbp-1 gene encodes a protein with no conserved domains that is localized in the nucleus. Yeast two-hybrid screening and co-immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that ADBP-1 physically interacts with ADR-2, an RNA-editing enzyme from the ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on dsRNA) family. In the adbp-1 mutant, as previously shown in adr-2 mutants, A-to-I RNA editing was not detected, suggesting that ADBP-1 is required for the RNA-editing activity of ADR-2. We found that ADBP-1 facilitates the nuclear localization of ADR-2. ADBP-1 may regulate ADR-2 activity and the consequent RNA editing and thereby antagonize RNAi-mediated transgene silencing in C. elegans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Deaminase / analysis
  • Adenosine Deaminase / genetics
  • Adenosine Deaminase / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / enzymology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / analysis
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA Editing*
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Helminth / genetics
  • RNA, Helminth / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • ADBP-1 protein, C elegans
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Helminth
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Adenosine Deaminase
  • Adr-2 protein, C elegans