UPF1/SMG7-dependent microRNA-mediated gene regulation

Nat Commun. 2019 Sep 13;10(1):4181. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12123-7.

Abstract

The stability and quality of metazoan mRNAs are under microRNA (miRNA)-mediated and nonsense-mediated control. Although UPF1, a core mediator of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), mediates the decay of target mRNA in a 3'UTR-length-dependent manner, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Here, we suggest that 3'UTR-length-dependent mRNA decay is not mediated by nonsense mRNAs but rather by miRNAs that downregulate target mRNAs via Ago-associated UPF1/SMG7. Global analyses of mRNAs in response to UPF1 RNA interference in miRNA-deficient cells reveal that 3'UTR-length-dependent mRNA decay by UPF1 requires canonical miRNA targeting. The destabilization of miRNA targets is accomplished by the combination of Ago2 and UPF1/SMG7, which may recruit the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex. Indeed, loss of the SMG7-deadenylase complex interaction increases the levels of transcripts regulated by UPF1-SMG7. This UPF1/SMG7-dependent miRNA-mediated mRNA decay pathway may enable miRNA targeting to become more predictable and expand the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions / genetics
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • RNA Helicases / genetics
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference / physiology
  • RNA Stability / genetics
  • RNA Stability / physiology*
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Carrier Proteins
  • MicroRNAs
  • Rent1 protein, mouse
  • SMG7 protein, human
  • Trans-Activators
  • RNA Helicases
  • UPF1 protein, human