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Results for “RNA helicase”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Vaccinia virus RNA helicase: an essential enzyme related to the DE-H family of RNA-dependent NTPases.

Three distinct nucleic acid-dependent ATPases are packaged within infectious vaccinia virus particles; one of these enzymes (nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase II or NPH-II) is activated by single-stranded RNA. Purified NPH-II is now shown to be an NTP-dependent RNA helicase. RNA unwinding requires a divalent cation and any one of the eight common ribo- or deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates. The enzyme acts catalytically to displace an estimated 10-fold molar excess of duplex RNA under in vitro reaction conditions. NPH-II binds to single-stranded RNA. Turnover of the bound enzyme is stimulated by and coupled to hydrolysis of NTP. Photocrosslinking of radiolabeled RNA to NPH-II results in label transfer to a single 73-kDa polypeptide. The sedimentation properties of the helicase are consistent with NPH-II being a monomer of this protein. Immunoblotting experiments identify NPH-II as the product of the vaccinia virus I8 gene. The I8-encoded protein displays extensive sequence similarity to members of the DE-H family of RNA-dependent NTPases. Mutations in the NPH-II gene [Fathi, Z. & Condit, R.C. (1991) Virology 181, 258-272] define the vaccinia helicase as essential for virus replication in vivo. Encapsidation of NPH-II in the virus particle suggests a role for the enzyme in synthesis of early messenger RNAs by the virion-associated transcription machinery.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

Murine p53 inhibits the function but not the formation of SV40 T antigen hexamers and stimulates T antigen RNA helicase activity.

We have characterized the effects of p53 on several biochemical activities of simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor (T) antigen. While p53 induced a strong inhibition of the T antigen DNA helicase activity, surprisingly, its RNA helicase activity was stimulated. This supports the liklihood that the DNA and RNA helicase activities of T antigen reflect discrete functions. p53 did not significantly affect the ATP-dependent conversion of T antigen monomers to hexamers. However, the ability of these hexamers to assemble on a DNA fragment containing the viral origin was impaired by p53. Thus, these results suggest that p53 inhibits the function but not the formation of T antigen multimers. This conclusion was further supported by the observation that the addition of a purified p53:T antigen complex was as inhibitory as free p53 to the DNA helicase activity of free T antigen. Thus our data indicates that the targets of p53 inhibition are the functional units of T antigen, namely the hexamers.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Vaccinia virus encodes four putative DNA and/or RNA helicases distantly related to each other.

Computer-assisted analysis of the amino acid sequences of vaccinia virus proteins containing the purine NTP-binding pattern revealed the seven motifs typical of the DNA (RNA) helicase superfamily II in the proteins I8R and A18R. Together with the previously described putative helicases D6R and D11L, the number of putative helicases of this superfamily encoded by the genome of vaccinia virus now reaches four. Aside from the helicase motifs, the sequences of I8R and A18R showed no strong similarity to each other, nor to D6R and D11L. Statistically significant similarity was demonstrated between I8R and the putative RNA helicases involved in pre-mRNA splicing in yeast, PRP2, PRP16 and PRP22, whereas A18R appeared to be related to the putative helicases encoded by the human DNA repair gene ERCC3 and the D10 gene of bacteriophage T5. These findings suggest that I8R may be an RNA helicase. Based on the known properties of the virion NTPases of vaccinia virus, it is possible that the I8R protein may be identical to the previously characterized virion NTPase II. A18R is likely to possess DNA and/or RNA helicase activity. Circumstantial evidence suggests that this activity might be involved in melting duplex structures in late mRNAs. The possibility of independent acquisition of the putative helicases I8R, A18R and a common progenitor to D6R and D11L by an ancestral poxvirus is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2025

The RNA helicase DDX17 enhances androgen receptor stability by interacting with the E3 ubiquitin ligase SPOP in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common malignancy in men, closely associated with androgen receptor (AR) signaling, and often diagnosed with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA). While androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is effective, resistance develops due to reactivation of AR signaling, driving disease progression. We aimed to explore the role of DDX17 in the progression of PCa through its interaction with SPOP. We hypothesized that DDX17 can stabilize the AR by inhibiting SPOP-mediated ubiquitination, thereby maintaining AR signaling which supports tumor growth and survival. METHODS: We collected gene expression data and clinical information from PCa patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. Messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels were quantified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting, respectively. Cell viability and invasion capabilities were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell invasion assays. The interactions between DDX17 and SPOP were examined through coimmunoprecipitation assays. RESULTS: DDX17 exhibited high expression in both PCa tissues and cells. Silencing DDX17 led to reduced proliferation and invasion of PCa cells. Mechanistic investigations revealed that DDX17 directly interacted with SPOP, sustaining AR stability by preventing AR ubiquitination. These findings suggest a role of DDX17 in promoting the progression of PCa by binding and blocking SPOP ubiquitination of AR. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidated a novel mechanism through which the RNA helicase DDX17 can promote PCa progression through its interaction with SPOP, thereby enhancing AR stability by inhibiting AR ubiquitination.

DDX17↗

PubMed2026

SARS-CoV-2 Orf3a protein interaction mapping using unnatural amino acid incorporation.

Mapping transient protein-protein interactions remain a major challenge in studying viral host-pathogen interfaces. While some virus-host interactions are stable and readily captured, the majority are highly dynamic, reflecting the need for viral proteins to engage distinct host factors at different stages of the life cycle. Here, we employ a protein engineering strategy based on the site-specific incorporation of the unnatural acid p-azido-L-phenylalanine (AzF) to enable photo-crosslinking proteomic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein Orf3a in live cells. Genetic installation of AzF at residue K198 of Orf3a permitted UV-induced covalent capture of proximal host interacting proteins, overcoming challenges associated with membrane localization and limited protein abundance. A total of 248 high-confidence Orf3a-interacting proteins were reproducibly identified and subjected to gene ontology analysis, revealing enrichment in innate immune signaling, antiviral defense, RNA processing, and viral replication-associated pathways. Orf3a is an accessory protein that functions as a viroporin and traffics across multiple cellular compartments, and was found to interact with host RNA helicases, RNA-binding proteins, immune regulators, and metabolic enzymes implicated in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Together, these results demonstrate that genetically encoded, site-specific photo-crosslinking enables selective capture of transient interactions that are often missed by nonspecific 254 nm UV crosslinking approaches and highlights Orf3a as a multifunctional protein that engages diverse host pathways. More broadly, this study establishes a generalizable framework for leveraging unnatural amino acid-based protein engineering approaches to interrogate dynamic host-pathogen interactions.

Humans↗

PubMed1992

The six conserved helicase motifs of the UL5 gene product, a component of the herpes simplex virus type 1 helicase-primase, are essential for its function.

The UL5 protein of herpes simplex virus type 1, one component of the viral helicase-primase complex, contains six sequence motifs found in all members of a superfamily of DNA and RNA helicases. Although this superfamily contains more than 20 members ranging from bacteria to mammalian cells and their viruses, the importance of these motifs has not been addressed experimentally for any one of them. In this study, we have examined the functional significance of these six motifs for the UL5 protein through the introduction of site-specific mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions of the most highly conserved residues within each motif. A transient replication complementation assay was used to test the effect of each mutation on the function of the UL5 protein in viral DNA replication. In this assay, a mutant UL5 protein expressed from an expression clone is used to complement a replication-deficient null mutant with a mutation in the UL5 gene for the amplification of herpes simplex virus origin-containing plasmids. Eight mutations in conserved regions and three similar mutations in nonconserved regions of the UL5 gene were analyzed, and the results indicate that all six conserved motifs are essential to the function of UL5 protein in viral DNA replication; on the other hand, mutations in nonconserved regions are tolerated. These data provide the first direct evidence for the importance of these conserved regions in any member of the superfamily of DNA and RNA helicases. In addition, three motif mutations were introduced into the viral genome, and the phenotypic analyses of these mutants are consistent with results from the transient replication complementation assay. The ability of these three mutant UL5 proteins to form specific interactions with other members of the helicase-primase complex, UL8 and UL52, indicates that the functional domains required for replication activity of UL5 are separable from domains responsible for protein-protein interactions. It is anticipated that this type of structure-function analysis will lead to the identification of protein domains that contribute not only to the enzymatic activities of helicase or primase but also to protein-protein interactions within members of the complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2026

DDX3X overexpression in mice can cause rapid tissue-specific toxicity and mortality.

DEAD-Box Helicase 3 X-Linked (DDX3X) is a ubiquitously expressed RNA helicase with diverse cellular roles implicated in a neurodevelopmental disorder called DDX3X syndrome. Although DDX3X is a leading genetic cause of intellectual disability in females, there is no treatment. While gene supplementation is a plausible therapeutic strategy, previous studies suggest DDX3X is carefully regulated and dose sensitive. To understand the consequences of overexpressing DDX3X with unregulated adeno-associated virus-mediated gene supplementation, we generated a vector driving strong ubiquitous DDX3X expression and administered it through a direct cerebrospinal fluid injection in newborn mice. Mice injected with a high dose died within 1 week from myocardial degeneration. Increased expression of stress response markers together with elevated apoptotic signaling in the heart suggested activation of stress-induced apoptotic pathways. Incidental findings included excess lipid accumulation, most prominent in the liver, and other liver injury. The innate immune system was also highly activated in the heart and liver. Interestingly, the brain was overall unaffected. The results suggest that DDX3X overexpression can cause rapid transgene-driven, tissue-specific toxicity, underscoring the need for tight DDX3X gene dosage control. These findings illustrate the possibility for improper transgene expression to drive severe toxicity including death within days following administration.

Animals↗

PubMed2025

DDX3X acts as a selective dual switch regulator of mRNA translation in acute ER stress.

Regulation of eukaryotic mRNA translation initiation greatly impacts gene expression and is critical for cellular stress response. DDX3X is a ubiquitous DEAD-box RNA helicase whose precise role in scanning and translation regulation in non-stressed and stressed cells remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that DDX3X associates with thousands of mRNAs as part of the eIF4F-mediated 48S scanning complex and exerts dual regulatory effects, promoting or repressing translation of select mRNAs under basal conditions and reversing this regulation during acute endoplasmic reticulum stress. Initiation profiling reveals mechanistically distinct modes of DDX3X action linked to its binding patterns across the 5' UTR and coding sequence. We further uncover that mRNAs selectively regulated by DDX3X exhibit specific patterns of cytidine N4-acetylation near start codons, with shared de-repression observed upon NAT10 knockdown. Together, our findings reveal DDX3X as a context-sensitive regulator that has a possible functional connection with epitranscriptomic features in translation control.

DEAD-box RNA Helicases↗

PubMed2026

Biochemical Insights Into the Conserved Interactions of NMD Factors From Budding Yeast to Humans.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is one of the most extensively studied pathways of cytoplasmic mRNA degradation. It plays a critical role in diverse cellular processes by eliminating aberrant transcripts containing premature stop codons and by regulating the stability of physiological mRNAs. NMD factors were initially identified through genetic screens in S. cerevisiae (UPF1, 2, 3) and C. elegans (SMG-1, SMG5-7). Subsequent biochemical and genetic studies revealed the composition of NMD complexes and identified additional factors. A major protein hub for NMD is Upf1, an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that is part of two mutually exclusive NMD assemblies, the Upf1-Upf2-Upf3 complex and the Upf1-decapping complex, which contains the decapping enzyme and its co-factors. Here, we discuss recent findings, primarily from budding yeast, on the protein-protein interactions driving NMD complexes dynamics and their similarities to human NMD. Together, the N-terminal cysteine and histidine rich (CH) and helicase domains (HD) of Upf1 act as a hub for binding multiple partners. Upf1 is required for binding to NMD substrates and for the initiation of RNA degradation through decapping (yeast) or endonucleolytic hydrolysis (humans). We focus on the interplay between Upf2, Dcp2 and Nmd4 (yeast SMG6), which ensures the mutually exclusive formation of Upf1-bound subcomplexes modulating Upf1's affinity for RNA. Thus, the study of NMD factors interactions in different organisms sheds new light on the remarkable conservation of NMD molecular mechanisms.

Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay↗

PubMed2026

A Conserved 3'UTR Stem-loop Directs UPF1/eIF4AIII-Dependent Regulation of GABARAPL1 mRNA.

RNA-binding proteins (RBP) interact with mRNA untranslated regions containing cis-regulatory elements to govern mRNA localization, stability, and translational efficiency. Among these trans-regulatory factors, RNA helicase UPF1 is a central factor which play a role in multiple mRNA decay pathways, including nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). NMD is triggered when an exon-junction complex (EJC) is located downstream of a premature termination codon. However, in some cases, NMD can be activated in an EJC-independent manner through mechanisms involving the 3'UTR. In the present study, we focused on the GABARAPL1 3'UTR, as previous studies had shown that this region plays a key role in NMD targeting, although the underlying molecular mechanism had not yet been elucidated. Unlike canonical NMD targets such as SC35, we found that the chemical inhibition of eIF4AIII helicase activity did not affect GABARAPL1 transcript levels, indicating that this transcript is regulated through its 3'UTR via an EJC-independent mechanism. We therefore investigated the potential presence of cis-regulatory element within the 3'UTR of GABARAPL1 which can regulate mRNA and protein levels in a UPF1-dependent manner. Furthermore, we identified a conserved RNA region spanning nucleotides 364-421 involved in GABARAPL1 targeting and used biochemical analysis to demonstrate the direct binding of UPF1 and eIF4AIII to this RNA region, to analyse its secondary structure in solution, and to map the protein-binding sites. By complementing these approaches with molecular modelling, we showed that this stem-loop adopts a stable global fold but a local flexibility and dynamic behaviour properties. Together, our results support the role of UPF1 and eIF4AIII as specific regulators of GABARAPL1 transcript and reveal a novel RNA regulatory element within its 3'UTR, which provides a completely unexpected binding site for these factors.

3' Untranslated Regions↗

PubMed2026

Nuclear exosome targeting complexes modulate cohesin binding and enhancer-promoter interactions in 3D.

Three-dimensional long-range contacts between enhancers and promoters are thought to be largely determined by loop extrusion driven by the cohesin complex and insulator factors. However, recent evidence also suggests a role for noncoding RNAs, such as enhancer-associated RNAs and promoter upstream transcripts, in shaping enhancer-promoter connectivity. While the nuclear RNA exosome, together with targeting complexes, poly(A) tail exosome targeting connection and nuclear exosome targeting complex, controls the decay of noncoding RNAs, it remains unclear whether these complexes regulate three-dimensional chromatin contacts. Chromatin recruitment maps of the nuclear exosome targeting complex subunit ZCCHC8, the poly(A) tail exosome targeting connection subunit ZFC3H1, and the RNA helicase MTR4 in human cells reveal that these factors associate with sites of enhancer-promoter interactions. Depletion of these factors leads to the accumulation of ncRNAs, notably enhancer-associated RNAs and promoter upstream transcripts, and increases cohesin occupancy at these sites. Chromatin conformation capture analysis reveals that MTR4 modulates long-range enhancer-promoter contacts. Upon loss of MTR4, enhancer-promoter contacts increase while intraloop contacts decrease, suggesting that MTR4 facilitates loop extrusion. These data highlight a key interplay between cohesin-mediated enhancer-promoter interactions and the regulation of noncoding RNAs by nuclear RNA exosome targeting complexes that is consistent with a role for RNA in genome folding.

Cohesins↗

PubMed2026

[Study of a patient with azoospermia due to variant of MOV10L1 gene].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genotypic characteristics of a patient with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) due to variants of MOV10L1 gene. METHODS: A 27-year-old patient with Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) underwent routine semen analysis. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P), estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T) were determined by chemiluminescence assays. Peripheral blood samples were collected for G-banded karyotyping analysis. Multiplex PCR fluorescence detection was used to screen for AZF gene microdeletions. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were performed simultaneously. Testicular biopsy tissues were subjected to Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining to assess seminiferous tubule cell composition, and MOV10L1 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Bioinformatics tools were employed to predict the pathogenicity of variants and their impact on protein structure and function. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Guangdong Institute of Reproductive Sciences [Ethics No.: 2023(01)]. RESULTS: The patient's two semen analyses had failed to detect any sperm. Hormone tests indicated elevated FSH (22.32 mIU/mL) and PRL (397.6 mIU/mL), while T (3.68 nmol/L) and E2 (38.32 pmol/L) were reduced. Chromosomal karyotyping revealed 46,XY, and no AZF gene deletion was detected. WES and Sanger sequencing detected compound heterozygous variants of the MOV10L1 gene, including a c.345C>A (p.C115X) nonsense variant and a c.3323C>T (p.T1108I) missense variant, with the former being unreported previously. HE staining showed only Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules, confirming the diagnosis of SCOS. Immunohistochemical staining revealed absent MOV10L1 protein expression in the testicular tissue. Based on the guidelines from American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c.345C>A (p.C115X) was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP4), while the c.3323C>T (p.T1108I) was deemed variant of uncertain significance (PM2_Supporting+PP3_Supporting+PP4). Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that c.345C>A (p.C115X) may cause premature termination of protein translation, while c.3323C>T (p.T1108I) may disrupt the hydrophobicity of the RNA helicase domain, reducing the active pocket volume and decreasing its affinity for MILI protein. CONCLUSION: This study has diagnosed a case of SCOS due to compound heterozygous variants of the MOV10L1 gene, which also enriched its mutational spectrum.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Acetic acid-induced translational repression involves eIF2B body formation and Ded1 sequestration into stress granules in yeast.

Elucidating the physiological impact of acetic acid stress and the corresponding yeast responses is essential for advancing fundamental biology and improving industrial alcoholic fermentation. Despite numerous genome-wide studies, information on the effects of acetic acid stress on yeast translational regulation remains limited. We found that a sublethal concentration of acetic acid (35 mM, 0.2% v/v) causes translational repression, accompanied by the formation of eIF2B bodies and the phosphorylation of eIF2α, both of which are involved in the regulation of translation initiation. Acetic acid also caused the sequestration of Ded1, a DEAD-box RNA helicase crucial for translation initiation, into stress granules. Removal of acetic acid restored translational activity and the proper localization of eIF2B and Ded1, indicating the reversibility of acetic acid-induced translational repression. Furthermore, when yeast cells were pretreated with 0.05% acetic acid, translational repression under subsequent 0.2% acetic acid stress was attenuated in wild-type cells but not in hrk1Δ cells. This indicates that Hrk1, a Pma1 activator, is required to sufficiently enhance tolerance to acetic acid-induced translational repression. These findings provide novel insights into the physiological effects of acetic acid stress on translational activity and translation-related factors in yeast cells.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae↗

PubMed2026

Genome-Wide Impact of Human DBR1 Depletion on RNA Processing Networks Reveal a Connection Between Pre-mRNA Splicing, mRNA Surveillance and Stress Granule Dynamics.

The RNA lariat debranching enzyme DBR1 is essential for intron turnover and RNA metabolism, yet its broader impact on transcriptome regulation remains incompletely defined. To elucidate the consequences of DBR1 depletion, we performed transcriptome-wide RNA sequencing of DBR1-knockdown and wild-type HEK293 cells. Differential expression analysis revealed widespread perturbations in pathways linked to RNA splicing, mRNA surveillance, translational control, and stress-granule biology. Many of the most significantly altered transcripts encode splicing factors and RNA quality-control components, underscoring DBR1's influence on post-transcriptional regulation. Alternative splicing analysis showed changes across multiple event types, with exon skipping accounting for >50% of events, followed by mutually exclusive exons, alternative 5' and 3' splice sites, and retained introns, indicating that DBR1 depletion induces pervasive splicing defects. Direct spliceosome inhibition using isoginkgetin (blocks tri-snRNP recruitment) and pladienolide B (targets SF3B1) reproduced the DBR1-KD mis-splicing patterns of cell signaling genes and factors involved in RNA metabolism, supporting a functional link between DBR1 activity and alternative splicing. Notably, DBR1 knockdown revealed a subset of transcripts that are both NMD-sensitive and enriched within stress granules. Consistent with this observation, G3BP1 immunopurification and confocal microscopy further support a role for DBR1 and UPF1 in stress-granule dynamics, suggesting that these factors may participate at distinct stages to influence mRNA fate under stress conditions. Together, these findings indicate that DBR1 functions beyond lariat RNA turnover as a common regulator of RNA processing, transcriptome stability, and stress granule homeostasis, revealing intricate crosstalk between RNA splicing and RNA quality control pathways in human cells.

Humans↗

PubMed1992

ERCC6, a member of a subfamily of putative helicases, is involved in Cockayne's syndrome and preferential repair of active genes.

Cells from patients with the UV-sensitive nucleotide excision repair disorder Cockayne's syndrome (CS) have a specific defect in preferential repair of lesions from the transcribed strand of active genes. This system permits quick resumption of transcription after UV exposure. Here we report the characterization of ERCC6, a gene involved in preferential repair in eukaryotes. ERCC6 corrects the repair defect of CS complementation group B (CS-B). It encodes a protein of 1493 amino acids, containing seven consecutive domains conserved between DNA and RNA helicases. The entire helicase region bears striking homology to segments in recently discovered proteins involved in transcription regulation, chromosome stability, and DNA repair. Mutation analysis of a CS-B patient indicates that the gene is not essential for cell viability and is specific for preferential repair of transcribed sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1992

The conserved helicase motifs of the herpes simplex virus type 1 origin-binding protein UL9 are important for function.

The UL9 gene of herpes simplex virus encodes a protein that specifically recognizes sequences within the viral origins of replication and exhibits helicase and DNA-dependent ATPase activities. The specific DNA binding domain of the UL9 protein was localized to the carboxy-terminal one-third of the molecule (H. M. Weir, J. M. Calder, and N. D. Stow, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:1409-1425, 1989). The N-terminal two-thirds of the UL9 gene contains six sequence motifs found in all members of a superfamily of DNA and RNA helicases, suggesting that this region may be important for helicase activity of UL9. In this report, we examined the functional significance of these six motifs for the UL9 protein through the introduction of site-specific mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions of the most highly conserved residues within each motif. An in vivo complementation test was used to study the effect of each mutation on the function of the UL9 protein in viral DNA replication. In this assay, a mutant UL9 protein expressed from a transfected plasmid is used to complement a replication-deficient null mutant in the UL9 gene for the amplification of herpes simplex virus origin-containing plasmids. Mutations in five of the six conserved motifs inactivated the function of the UL9 protein in viral DNA replication, providing direct evidence for the importance of these conserved motifs. Insertion mutants resulting in the introduction of two alanines at 100-residue intervals in regions outside the conserved motifs were also constructed. Three of the insertion mutations were tolerated, whereas the other five abolished UL9 function. These data indicate that other regions of the protein, in addition to the helicase motifs, are important for function in vivo. Several mutations result in instability of the mutant products, presumably because of conformational changes in the protein. Taken together, these results suggest that UL9 is very sensitive to mutations with respect to both structure and function, perhaps reflecting its multifunctional character.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Identification and characterization of Prp45p and Prp46p, essential pre-mRNA splicing factors.

Through exhaustive two-hybrid screens using a budding yeast genomic library, and starting with the splicing factor and DEAH-box RNA helicase Prp22p as bait, we identified yeast Prp45p and Prp46p. We show that as well as interacting in two-hybrid screens, Prp45p and Prp46p interact with each other in vitro. We demonstrate that Prp45p and Prp46p are spliceosome associated throughout the splicing process and both are essential for pre-mRNA splicing. Under nonsplicing conditions they also associate in coprecipitation assays with low levels of the U2, U5, and U6 snRNAs that may indicate their presence in endogenous activated spliceosomes or in a postsplicing snRNP complex.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2026

DDX21 Enhances Radiosensitivity in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Suppressing MK2-Mediated DNA Damage Response.

Radioresistance remains a significant challenge in the radiotherapy (RT) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the biological factors that govern sensitivity to this therapy are not well-understood. The DEAD-box family is known for its role in genome stability, and inextricably linked to the radiotherapy resistance of tumors. This study found the role of the RNA helicase DDX21 in regulating radiosensitivity through extensive data mining. High DDX21 expression predicted improved survival after postoperative radiotherapy. Overexpression of DDX21 increased radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo, whereas depletion promoted radioresistance. In vitro, DDX21 enhanced radiation-induced DNA damage, genomic instability, and apoptosis by binding MK2 and suppressing MK2 phosphorylation independently of p38 activity. Meanwhile MK2 inhibition restored and further augmented radiosensitivity in DDX21-deficient cells and xenografts by increasing DNA damage and apoptosis. Overall, DDX21 regulates radiosensitivity in HNSCC by suppressing MK2 signaling and modulating the radiation-induced DNA damage response. Its expression may serve as a potential biomarker associated with radiosensitivity, and MK2 inhibition offers a promising approach to overcome radioresistance in tumors with low DDX21 expression.

DDX21↗