Tracing Allostery in the Spliceosome Ski2-like RNA Helicase Brr2

J Phys Chem Lett. 2024 Apr 4;15(13):3502-3508. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03538. Epub 2024 Mar 22.

Abstract

RNA ATPases/helicases remodel substrate RNA-protein complexes in distinct ways. The different RNA ATPases/helicases, taking part in the spliceosome complex, reshape the RNA/RNA-protein contacts to enable premature-mRNA splicing. Among them, the bad response to refrigeration 2 (Brr2) helicase promotes U4/U6 small nuclear (sn)RNA unwinding via ATP-driven translocation of the U4 snRNA strand, thus playing a pivotal role during the activation, catalytic, and disassembly phases of splicing. The plastic Brr2 architecture consists of an enzymatically active N-terminal cassette (N-cassette) and a structurally similar but inactive C-terminal cassette (C-cassette). The C-cassette, along with other allosteric effectors and regulators, tightly and timely controls Brr2's function via an elusive mechanism. Here, microsecond-long molecular dynamics simulations, dynamical network theory, and community network analysis are combined to elucidate how allosteric effectors/regulators modulate the Brr2 function. We unexpectedly reveal that U4 snRNA itself acts as an allosteric regulator, amplifying the cross-talk of distal Brr2 domains and triggering a conformational reorganization of the protein. Our findings offer fundamental understanding into Brr2's mechanism of action and broaden our knowledge on the sophisticated regulatory mechanisms by which spliceosome ATPases/helicases control gene expression. This includes their allosteric regulation exerted by client RNA strands, a mechanism that may be broadly applicable to other RNA-dependent ATPases/helicases.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • RNA / metabolism
  • RNA Helicases / chemistry
  • RNA Helicases / genetics
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U4-U6 Small Nuclear / chemistry
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U4-U6 Small Nuclear / genetics
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U4-U6 Small Nuclear / metabolism
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear* / metabolism
  • Spliceosomes* / genetics
  • Spliceosomes* / metabolism

Substances

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases
  • Ribonucleoprotein, U4-U6 Small Nuclear
  • RNA
  • RNA Helicases
  • SNRNP200 protein, human
  • Ribonucleoproteins, Small Nuclear