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Simian virus 40 early mRNA's. I. Genomic localization of 3' and 5' termini and two major splices in mRNA from transformed and lytically infected cells.

We have studied the structure of polyadenylated virus-specific cytoplasmic mRNA's in mouse and human cells transformed by simian virus 40 and in monkey cells infected with simian virus 40 in the presence of cytosine arabinoside by means of reverse transcriptase-catalyzed complementary DNA synthesis and complementary DNA sequencing. Abundant mRNA species containing splices from residues 4490 to 4557 (0.533 to 0.546 map units [m.u.]) and 4490 to 4837 (0.533 to 0.600 m.u.) were identified in both transformed and infected cells. Two principal reverse transcriptase stops were observed at the 5' termini of these mRNA's, both occurring with approximately equal frequency. The most distal of these stops was localized at residues 5152 to 5154 (0.660 m.u.), and the second was at residues 5147 to 5148 (0.659 m.u.). Several additional minor stops, between approximately 0.62 and 0.65 m.u., were also found on complementary DNA copied from transformed cell mRNA; in contrast, only one additional stop was present on complementary DNA copied from early lytic mRNA. These data suggest the presence of a prinicipal 5' terminus of early lytic and transformed cell mRNA's at residues 5152 to 5154 and raise the possibility of additional 5' termini at one or more locations in the 0.62 to 0.659 m.u. region of these mRNA's. Transformed cell mRNA was also found to contain a single 3' terminus at positions 2504 and 2505 (0.153 m.u.); termini lying beyond this site were not detected.

Animals

Translation of mRNA from rat-liver polysomes into tyrosine aminotransferase and tryptophan oxygenase in a protein-synthesizing system from wheat germ. Effects of cortisol on the translatable levels of mRNA for these two enzymes.

Messenger RNA was isolated from rat liver polysomes by phenol/chloroform extraction and subsequent oligo(dT)-cellulose chromatography. The mRNA was translated in a protein-synthesizing system in vitro derived from wheat germ. The system was optimized in respect to Mg2+ and K+. The presence of spermidine or spermine is necessary for the synthesis of polypeptides having molecular weights of over 20 000. In the absence of the bases only small molecular weight products are formed. The amount of protein synthesized is linearly dependent on the amount of mRNA added up to concentrations of 80 mug mRNA/ml. The synthesis of tyrosine aminotransferase and tryptophan oxygenase in the system in vitro has been demonstrated by specific immunoprecipitation and sodium-dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the precipitate with enzyme proteins as marker. The amount of specific product formed is linearly dependent on the amount of mRNA present. The amount of translatable tyrosine aminotransferase mRNA and tryptophan oxygenase mRNA increases after administration of hydrocortisone to adrenalectomized rats. At low doses of hormone (2 mg/100 g body weight) maximal values are observed at 4 h, control levels being reached at 6-8 h after hormone application. With higher doses of hydrocortisone (20 mg/100 g body weight) maximal values are attained at 6 h, tending to control levels 14 h after treatment. The enzyme activity curves are parallel to the mRNA curves, the peak of enzyme activity occurring 2 h after the peak of mRNA activity.

Adrenalectomy

Assessment of mRNA Decay and Calculation of Codon Occurrence to mRNA Stability Correlation Coefficients after 5-EU Metabolic Labeling.

mRNA translation and decay are tightly connected. This chapter describes a method to assess the influence of each codon identity on mRNA stability in cultured cells. The technique involves metabolic labeling of the nascent mRNAs by addition of the nucleoside analog 5-ethynyluridine (5-EU), purification of the RNA at different time-points after chase of the 5-EU, then biotinylation with Click chemistry, pull-down, and sequencing. The transcripts' half-lives are calculated from the expression level of each mRNA at the different time-points. Finally, the method describes the calculation of the Codon occurrence to mRNA Stability correlation Coefficient, or CSC, as a correlation between the codon occurrence in a transcript and the transcript half-life, for each codon.

RNA Stability

Sequences of large T1 ribonuclease-resistant oligoribonucleotides from protamine mRNA: the overall architecture of protamine mRNA.

Limited T1 ribonuclease digestion of the family of protamine mRNA's purified from rainbow trout testis yields several large oligoribonucleotide fragments ranging in size from 12--54 nucleotides in length. Several of these fragments purified by two dimensional gel electrophoresis contain several G residues and must represent nuclease-resistant, base-paired regions of the mRNA. Sequence analysis of these oligonucleotides by the method of Simoncsits, A., Brownlee, G.G., Brown, R.S., Rubin, J.R. and Guilley, H. (1977) Nature 269: 833-836, shows that these oligoribonucleotides arise from the 5'- and 3'-non-coding regions of the mRNA. Comparisons of the sequences of the large RNA fragment with DNA sequences obtained after cloning double-stranded protamine cDNA in the plasmids pBr322 and pmB9 show precise correspondence of a 54 nucleotide RNA fragment with positions 49--100 from the 3'-poly(A) tract and extending to within 5 nucleotides of the termination codon. Two other RNA fragments of 21 and 25 nucleotides in length arise from the 5'-non-coding region of the message and possess an AUG-sequence at their 3'-termini which is the initiation codon. The presence of distinct by homologous sequences in several sets of large RNA fragments is consistent with the presence of several closely related protamine mRNA's.

Animals

Using the Tether Function Assay to Identify Potential Regulators of mRNA Translation and mRNA Decay.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and their associated partners are key factors of posttranscriptional control of gene expression. To study and manipulate the functional consequences of binding of these regulators to their targets, several tethering assays have been developed, in which a protein of interest is brought to a reporter mRNA through heterologous RNA-protein interaction motifs. The effect of such constrained binding is then monitored by measuring the accumulation of the reporter protein and mRNA. This chapter describes a protocol for the λN-BoxB tether system in transiently transfected mammalian cells. Combining the luciferase reporter technology to quantify protein amounts by light measurement and RNA amounts by RT-qPCR, this assay provides a simple and robust way to analyze the consequences of any protein binding in a controlled and defined manner.

RNA, Messenger

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

Rho-dependent termination and RNase E-mediated cleavage: dual pathways for RNA 3' end processing in polycistronic mRNA.

"Pre-full-length" transcripts are produced at the end of the polycistronic galactose (gal) operon, 5' galE-galT-galK-galM 3', via Rho-dependent transcription termination (RDT) and -independent transcription termination. The 3' end of the full-length galETKM mRNA is acquired by exonucleolytic processing of the 3'-OH ends of the pre-full-length transcripts. However, the gal operon produces an mRNA termed galE whose 3' end forms approximately 120 nucleotides downstream of the galE stop codon, within the subsequent gene, galT, thereby establishing polarity in gene expression. In this study, we investigated the molecular processes that generate the 3' end of galE mRNA. We discovered that the 3' ends of pre-galE mRNA are produced in the middle of galT as a result of the combination of two separate molecular processes-one previously reported as RDT and the other as unreported RNase E-mediated transcript cleavage. The 3' ends of pre-galE mRNA undergo exonucleolytic processing to the 3' end of galE mRNA observed in vivo. A hairpin structure containing an 8 bp stem and a 4-nucleotide loop, located 5-10 nucleotides upstream of the 3' ends of galE mRNA, blocks exoribonuclease digestion and renders transcript stability. These findings demonstrate that RNase E-contrary to its general role in mRNA degradation-produces RNA 3' ends that regulate polarity in gene expression.IMPORTANCEThis study reports the findings of two molecular mechanisms that generate the 3' ends of pre-galE mRNA in the gal operon, viz., Rho-dependent transcription termination and RNase E-mediated cleavage. These 3' ends are subsequently processed to produce stable galE mRNA with a hairpin structure that prevents exoribonuclease degradation. This mechanism establishes gene expression polarity by generating the 3' end of galE mRNA within galT in contrast to the usual mRNA degradation role of RNase E. The study reveals a unique role of RNase E in mRNA processing and stability.

RNA, Messenger

mRNA therapy: A novel approach for retinal neurodegenerative diseases.

Retinal neurodegeneration remains a major cause of irreversible vision loss, yet current therapeutic options are limited in effectiveness. Although gene therapies have shown clinical potential, the overexpression platforms they rely on, such as adeno-associated virus DNA, are constrained by safety concerns, limited efficacy, and cargo size restrictions. In contrast, mRNA therapy has gained recognition as a compelling alternative, enabling rapid and efficient protein expression without the risk of genomic integration. This review synthesizes recent advances in mRNA engineering, delivery systems, and administration routes for retinal applications, and highlight strategies to enhance targeting, penetration, and controlled release through interdisciplinary collaboration between ophthalmology and bioengineering. In recent years, engineered mRNA formats, including chemically modified linear, circular, and self-amplifying RNA, can achieve higher translation efficiency within a tunable expression window. The transient nature and relatively low immunogenicity of in vitro transcribed mRNA support repeat dosing without insertional mutagenesis. Advances in nanocarriers, particularly lipid nanoparticles, have enabled preferential delivery to retinal neurons, Müller glia, and pigment epithelium via intraocular administration, while improving mRNA stability and transfection efficiency. In preclinical studies, mRNA has been widely used to deliver gene-editing tools, transcription factors, and supplementary functional proteins. In disease models such as optic nerve crush and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization, mRNA-based therapies enhance neuroprotection and suppress pathological angiogenesis in the injured retina, with favorable ocular safety profiles. However, it remains largely unexplored how the intrinsic advantages of mRNA therapy can be leveraged to develop tailored strategies for complex retinal disorders. Consistent with this gap, mRNA platforms have not yet been widely incorporated into retinal research or clinical practice. In parallel, clinical translation also lags: despite encouraging outcomes of lipid nanoparticle-mRNA formulations in preclinical models, no candidates have progressed into retinal clinical trials. This review draws on the complex pathology and therapeutic logic of retinal neurodegeneration. It proposes that mRNA therapy enables multitarget, repeatable, stage-specific interventions that align with the dynamic evolution of diseases and the requirements of combination therapy in retinal diseases. It may be used to support neuroprotection, axon regeneration, and neurovascular regulation. By integrating data across experimental models and modalities, this review outlines representative cases and experimental paradigms to guide rational trial design and carrier selection. Taken together, technical progress and evolving application strategies position mRNA therapy as a compelling therapeutic avenue for retinal neurodegeneration.

administration

Hybridization properties of sequences adjacent to triphosphorylated 5'-ends of nuclear pre-mRNA from mouse Ehrlich carcinoma.

Triphosphorylated 5'-end fragments about 100 nucleotides long were prepared from purified nuclear pre-mRNA using a modified hydroxyapatite method /1/. These fragments as well as fragments of total pre-mRNA of the same size were polyadenylated in vitro by ATP:RNA adenyltransferase and used as templates for the synthesis of [32P] cDNA by reverse transcriptase in the presence of an oligo(dT) primer. The use of cDNA transcribed from the triphosphorylated 5'-end fragments of pre-mRNA (5'-cDNA) and from the total pre-mRNA fragments allows one to calculate the complexity of the 5'-end fraction pre-mRNA and to detect these sequences in polysomal mRNA. Sequences adjacent to 5'-phosphorylated ends of pre-mRNA represent a specific class of sequences with a complexity of about 200 kb. It was also found that about 25% of total pre-mRNA and about a half of sequences adjacent to triphosphorylated 5'-ends are present in polysomal mRNA. A high homology between triphosphorylated 5'-end fragments of pre-mRNA and mRNA sequences may be explained in terms of splicing. Less than 30% of 5'-cDNA hybridized to moderately repetitive DNA while most of them are represented by unique DNA sequences. About 15% of 5'-cDNA contained oligo(dA) sequences originated from oligo(U) in pre-mRNA from which it was transcribed.

Animals

Mouse immunoglobulin mu heavy chain mRNA of Y5781, a high yield myeloma.

The BALB/c myeloma tumor, Y5781, has a high level of mu heavy chain mRNA and kappa light chain mRNA, as suggested by denaturing gel analyses of poly(A)-rich, total polysomal mRNA, and confirmed for the mu heavy chain mRNA by kinetic complexity analyses. Both the mRNA coding for the heavy and light chains appear as very prominent and discrete peaks above the generally polydisperse background of the total polysomal mRNA. This mRNA level appears to be stable through a limited number of subcutaneous passages of this myeloma, providing a potentially useful system for mu heavy chain mRNA synthesis and processing. The mu heavy chain mRNA of this myeloma has been enriched to about 60% homogeneity by physicochemical means. In agreement with a previous report (Faust, C.H., Jr., Heim, I., and Moore, J. (1979) Biochemistry 18, 1106-1119), the following physical and biological properties were observed. The mature cytoplasmic mu heavy chain mRNA is 950,000 daltons, i.e. about 2800 nucleotides, and contains approximately 800 undefined, nontranslated bases. In an mRNA-dependent cell-free system, this mRNA stimulates the synthesis of a single, serologically reactive mu heavy chain-like protein, confirmed by tryptic peptide maps.

Animals

Multihormonal induction of hepatic alpha2u-globulin mRNA as measured by hybridization to complementary DNA.

A procedure is presented for the preparation of a (3)H-labeled complementary DNA (cDNA) specific for the mRNA coding for alpha(2u)-globulin, a male rat liver protein under multihormonal control that represents approximately 1% of hepatic protein synthesis. Rat liver polysomes are incubated with monospecific rabbit antiserum to alpha(2u)-globulin, which binds to the nascent alpha(2u)-globulin chains on the polysomes. These antibody-polysome complexes are then adsorbed to goat antiserum to rabbit IgG that is covalently linked to p-aminobenzylcellulose. mRNA preparations are thus obtained that contain 30-40% alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA. A labeled cDNA is made to this alpha(2u)-globulin-enriched mRNA preparation by using RNA-dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase). To remove the non-alpha(2u)-globulin sequences, this cDNA preparation is hybridized to an RNA concentration x incubation time (R(0)t) of 1000 mol of ribonucleotide per liter x sec with female rat liver mRNA, which, though it shares the vast majority of mRNA sequences with male liver, contains no alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA sequences. The cDNA remaining single-stranded is isolated by hydroxylapatite chromatography and is shown to be specific for alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA by several criteria. Good correlation was found in all endocrine states studied between the hepatic level of alpha(2u)-globulin, the level of functional alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA as assayed in a wheat germ cell-free translational system, and the level of alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA sequences as measured by hybridization to the alpha(2u)-globulin cDNA. Thus, the hormonal control of hepatic alpha(2u)-globulin synthesis by sex steroids and thyroid hormone occurs through modulation of the cellular level of alpha(2u)-globulin mRNA sequences, presumably by hormonal control of transcriptive synthesis.

Alpha-Globulins

Control of synthesis of mRNA's for T4 bacteriophage-specific dihydrofolate reductase and deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase.

A 30 degrees C, functional messengers for dCMP hydroxymethylase first appeared 3 to 6 min postinfection and reached their maximum levels at 12 min. Chloramphenicol, added before the phage, reduced the rate of mRNA accumulation. When the antibiotic was added 6 min postinfection, mRNA levels increased at their normal rate but there was no obvious repression of messenger accumulation. Delaying the addition of drug until 8 or 12 min had progressively less effect on the pattern of hydroxymethylase mRNA metabolism. When chloramphenicol was present from preinfection times or from 6 min postinfection, all hydroxymethylase mRNA's synthesized were stable; at later times, however, the ability of the drug to stabilize mRNA decreased with its ability to delay the turnoff of mRNA production. An overaccumulation of hydroxymethylase mRNA was also seen when phage-specific DNA synthesis was inhibited either by mutational lesion in an essential viral gene or by 5-fluorodeoxyuridine. By min 20 of a DNA-negative program, hydroxymethylase mRNA synthesis was repressed to the point where it no longer compensated for decay. However, a finite level of hydroxymethylase mRNA synthesis was maintained at later times of a DNA-negative infection. Such results indicate that replication of the phage chromosome is necessary but not sufficient for a complete turnoff of hydroxymethylase mRNA production. Functions controlled by the maturation-defective proteins (the products of genes 55 and 33) played only a minor role in the regulation of hydroxymethylase mRNA, metabolism. Thus, we favor the hypothesis that a complete turnoff of hydroxymethylase messenger production requires one or more new proteins as well as an interval of DNA replication. The absence of DNA synthesis had no particular effect upon dihydrofolate reductase messenger production. The preinfection addition of chloramphenicol likewise had little effect on dihydrofolate reductase messenger metabolism. These latter data imply that prior synthesis of a phage-coded protein synthesis may not be required for the turnoff of reductase messenger production.

Chloramphenicol

Methylmercury hydroxide enhancement of translation and transcription of ovalbumin and conalbumin mRNA's.

Translation of total mRNA in heterologous protein-synthesizing systems is often employed as an indirect means of assessing relative mRNA concentrations. However, it is well known that the efficiency of translation of specific mRNAs differs. One such example is the poor translational efficiency of conalbumin mRNA relative to ovalbumin mRNA. In this report we have studied the translation of conalbumin and ovalbumin mRNAs in crude mRNA preparations and with highly purified mRNA preparations. We find that treatment of RNA with methylmercury hydroxide prior to translation improves the translational efficiency of both mRNAs and preferentially improves translational efficiency of conalbumin mRNA to the point where it more correctly reflects the relative concentration of these two mRNAs in crude mRNA preparations. Conalbumin mRNA is also a poor template for the synthesis of full length cDNA synthesis by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase, and treatment of this mRNA with methylmercury hydroxide increases the size of DNA sequences synthesized. We conclude that treatment with methylmercury hydroxide produces a partial denaturation of mRNA complexed with either itself or with other RNA molecules and results in more efficient utilization in both translational assays and DNA polymerization reactions.

Animals

Safety and immunogenicity of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine administered to adults: A phase 2, randomized, active-controlled trial.

We conducted a phase 2, randomized, active-controlled, observer-blind study (NCT05960097) among healthy adults ≥18 y of age who completed a primary COVID-19 mRNA vaccination series, with or without a booster, ≥3 months earlier. Participants were randomized (1:1:1:1:1) to either receive an investigational bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine encoding ancestral D614G and Omicron BA.4-5 spike proteins (CV0701 mRNA vaccine) at one of three dose levels, an investigational monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine encoding the Omicron BA.4-5 spike protein (CV0601 mRNA vaccine), or a licensed Original Wuhan/Omicron BA.4-5 bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The primary objectives were to evaluate reactogenicity, safety and immunogenicity post-vaccination. Secondary and tertiary objectives were to further evaluate humoral and cell-mediated immunity post-vaccination. In total, 425 participants were vaccinated and 381 were included in the Day 29 per-protocol immunogenicity analysis. Most solicited events were mild to moderate. No vaccine-related serious adverse events or myocarditis/pericarditis cases were reported. For the CV0701 mRNA vaccine, a dose-dependent increase in Day 29 neutralizing titers against ancestral D614G and Omicron BA.4-5 was observed. Neutralizing titers against ancestral D614G and Omicron BA.4-5 declined by Days 91 and 181, but remained above baseline. Similar immune responses were observed for the CV0601 mRNA vaccine. At Day 8, CD4+ T cells (Th1 profile) increased in all study groups and CD8+ T cells increased in all study groups, except the lowest CV0701 dose group. The CV0701 and CV0601 mRNA vaccines elicited robust humoral and cellular immunity with an acceptable safety profile, comparable to a licensed, bivalent mRNA vaccine. Clinical Trial Registration EU CT number: 2023-504596-25-00 ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05960097.

Humans

mRNA vaccine immunity is enhanced by hepatocyte detargeting and not dependent on dendritic cell expression.

Proteins encoded by mRNA vaccines can be expressed by a diversity of transfected cell types but how cell-type-specific expression influences immunity is poorly understood. To investigate this, we incorporated synthetic microRNA target sites (miRT) into lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-delivered mRNA vaccines to silence mRNA expression specifically in professional antigen-presenting cells (pAPCs), hepatocytes or myocytes. We found that mRNA expression in pAPCs was dispensable for priming antigen-specific T cells, whereas mRNA expression in myocytes induced similar or stronger immune responses, including for SARS-CoV-2, suggesting that antigen cross-presentation or cross-dressing may be more impactful than direct mRNA expression in pAPCs. In contrast, mRNA expression in hepatocytes suppressed the antigen-specific T cell response, partly through PD1/PDL1. In mice bearing tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-expressing lymphoma cells, miRT-mediated hepatocyte-silenced TAA mRNA vaccine enhanced immune response and reduced tumor burden. Thus, non-pAPC expression shapes immunity to mRNA-encoded protein and inclusion of miRTs can boost or blunt mRNA-LNP immunogenicity.

Journal Article

mRNA turnover dynamics are affected by cell differentiation and loss of the cytosine methyltransferase Nsun2.

Nsun2 catalyzes 5-methylcytosine (m5C) formation in several types of RNA, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs), transfer RNAs, and other non-coding RNAs. In mRNA, m5C was reported to influence transcript stability. However, it is unclear if it has stabilizing or destabilizing effects. To address the role of Nsun2 in mRNA stability, we characterized the landscape of mRNA turnover dynamics during embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation in wild-type and Nsun2-mutant cells. By using an RNA labeling approach combined with thiouridine-to-cytidine-sequencing (TUC-seq), we demonstrate that mRNA synthesis and stability undergo extensive changes during normal cellular differentiation. Remarkably, a large proportion of these changes did not result in altered mRNA abundance, providing evidence for robust transcript buffering during ESC differentiation. Importantly, also the loss of Nsun2 affected mRNA turnover dynamics but not the steady-state levels of transcripts. Furthermore, our data indicate that the effect of Nsun2 on mRNA turnover was not mediated by m5C deposition in mRNA, which is corroborated by catalysis-independent effects of Nsun2 on translation in early ESC differentiation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that differentiation as well as loss of Nsun2 can induce changes in mRNA turnover dynamics that are independent of mRNA methylation but consistent with a buffering mechanism to maintain constant RNA levels.

Cell Differentiation