All-Atom Simulations Elucidate the Impact of U2AF2 Cancer-Associated Mutations on Pre-mRNA Recognition

J Chem Inf Model. 2022 Dec 26;62(24):6691-6703. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00511. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

Abstract

The U2AF2 splicing factor, made of two tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) joined by a flexible linker, selects the intronic polypyrimidine sequence of premature mRNA, thus ensuring splicing fidelity. Increasing evidence links mutations of key splicing factors, including U2AF2, to a variety of cancers. Nevertheless, the impact of U2AF2 cancer-associated mutations on polypyrimidine recognition remains unclear. Here, we combined extensive (18 μs-long) all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and dynamical network theory analysis (NWA) of U2AF2, in its wild-type form and in the presence of the six most frequent cancer-associated mutations, bound to a poly-U strand. Our results reveal that the selected mutations affect the pre-mRNA binding at two hot spot regions, irrespectively of where these mutants are placed on the distinct U2AF2 domains. Complementarily, NWA traced the existence of cross-communication pathways, connecting each mutation site to these recognition hot spots, whose strength is altered by the mutations. Our outcomes suggest the existence of a structural/dynamical interplay of the two U2AF2's RRMs underlying the recognition of the polypyrimidine tract and reveal that the cancer-associated mutations affect the polypyrimidine selection by altering the RRMs' cooperativity. This mechanism may be shared by other RNA binding proteins hallmarked, like U2AF2, by multidomain architecture and high plasticity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasms* / genetics
  • RNA Precursors* / genetics
  • RNA Precursors* / metabolism
  • RNA Splicing
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Splicing Factor U2AF / genetics
  • Splicing Factor U2AF / metabolism

Substances

  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • U2AF2 protein, human
  • Splicing Factor U2AF