Tens of thousands of rapidly evolving long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes have been identified, but functions were assigned to relatively few of them. The lncRNA contribution to the mouse oocyte physiology remains unknown. We report the evolutionary history and functional analysis of Sirena1, the most expressed lncRNA and the 10th most abundant poly(A) transcript in mouse oocytes. Sirena1 appeared in the common ancestor of mouse and rat and became engaged in two different post-transcriptional regulations. First, antisense oriented Elob pseudogene insertion into Sirena1 exon 1 is a source of small RNAs targeting Elob mRNA via RNA interference. Second, Sirena1 evolved functional cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements, an unexpected feature borrowed from translation control of specific maternal mRNAs. Sirena1 knock-out does not affect fertility, but causes minor dysregulation of the maternal transcriptome. This includes increased levels of Elob and mitochondrial mRNAs. Mitochondria in Sirena1-/- oocytes disperse from the perinuclear compartment, but do not change in number or ultrastructure. Taken together, Sirena1 contributes to RNA interference and mitochondrial aggregation in mouse oocytes. Sirena1 exemplifies how lncRNAs stochastically engage or even repurpose molecular mechanisms during evolution. Simultaneously, Sirena1 expression levels and unique functional features contrast with the lack of functional importance assessed under laboratory conditions.
- MeSH
- genový knockout MeSH
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- messenger RNA genetika MeSH
- mitochondrie genetika ultrastruktura MeSH
- myši MeSH
- oocyty růst a vývoj metabolismus ultrastruktura MeSH
- polyadenylace genetika MeSH
- RNA dlouhá nekódující genetika MeSH
- RNA mitochondriální genetika MeSH
- transkriptom genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- krysa rodu rattus MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Removal of poly(A) tail is an important mechanism controlling eukaryotic mRNA turnover. The major eukaryotic deadenylase complex CCR4-NOT contains two deadenylase components, CCR4 and CAF1, for which mammalian CCR4 is encoded by Cnot6 or Cnot6l paralogs. We show that Cnot6l apparently supplies the majority of CCR4 in the maternal CCR4-NOT in mouse, hamster, and bovine oocytes. Deletion of Cnot6l yielded viable mice, but Cnot6l-/- females exhibited ∼40% smaller litter size. The main onset of the phenotype was post-zygotic: fertilized Cnot6l-/- eggs developed slower and arrested more frequently than Cnot6l+/- eggs, suggesting that maternal CNOT6L is necessary for accurate oocyte-to-embryo transition. Transcriptome analysis revealed major transcriptome changes in Cnot6l-/- ovulated eggs and one-cell zygotes. In contrast, minimal transcriptome changes in preovulatory Cnot6l-/- oocytes were consistent with reported Cnot6l mRNA dormancy. A minimal overlap between transcripts sensitive to decapping inhibition and Cnot6l loss suggests that decapping and CNOT6L-mediated deadenylation selectively target distinct subsets of mRNAs during oocyte-to-embryo transition in mouse.
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET) transforms a differentiated gamete into pluripotent blastomeres. The accompanying maternal-zygotic RNA exchange involves remodeling of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) pool. Here, we used next generation sequencing and de novo transcript assembly to define the core population of 1,600 lncRNAs expressed during the OET (lncRNAs). Relative to mRNAs, OET lncRNAs were less expressed and had shorter transcripts, mainly due to fewer exons and shorter 5' terminal exons. Approximately half of OET lncRNA promoters originated in retrotransposons suggesting their recent emergence. Except for a small group of ubiquitous lncRNAs, maternal and zygotic lncRNAs formed two distinct populations. The bulk of maternal lncRNAs was degraded before the zygotic genome activation. Interestingly, maternal lncRNAs seemed to undergo cytoplasmic polyadenylation observed for dormant mRNAs. We also identified lncRNAs giving rise to trans-acting short interfering RNAs, which represent a novel lncRNA category. Altogether, we defined the core OET lncRNA transcriptome and characterized its remodeling during early development. Our results are consistent with the notion that rapidly evolving lncRNAs constitute signatures of cells-of-origin while a minority plays an active role in control of gene expression across OET. Our data presented here provide an excellent source for further OET lncRNA studies.
- MeSH
- blastomery metabolismus MeSH
- embryo savčí metabolismus MeSH
- myši MeSH
- oocyty metabolismus MeSH
- RNA dlouhá nekódující genetika metabolismus MeSH
- sekvenční analýza RNA MeSH
- stanovení celkové genové exprese MeSH
- vysoce účinné nukleotidové sekvenování MeSH
- vývojová regulace genové exprese * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
Retrotransposons are "copy-and-paste" insertional mutagens that substantially contribute to mammalian genome content. Retrotransposons often carry long terminal repeats (LTRs) for retrovirus-like reverse transcription and integration into the genome. We report an extraordinary impact of a group of LTRs from the mammalian endogenous retrovirus-related ERVL retrotransposon class on gene expression in the germline and beyond. In mouse, we identified more than 800 LTRs from ORR1, MT, MT2, and MLT families, which resemble mobile gene-remodeling platforms that supply promoters and first exons. The LTR-mediated gene remodeling also extends to hamster, human, and bovine oocytes. The LTRs function in a stage-specific manner during the oocyte-to-embryo transition by activating transcription, altering protein-coding sequences, producing noncoding RNAs, and even supporting evolution of new protein-coding genes. These functions result, for example, in recycling processed pseudogenes into mRNAs or lncRNAs with regulatory roles. The functional potential of the studied LTRs is even higher, because we show that dormant LTR promoter activity can rescue loss of an essential upstream promoter. We also report a novel protein-coding gene evolution-D6Ertd527e-in which an MT LTR provided a promoter and the 5' exon with a functional start codon while the bulk of the protein-coding sequence evolved through a CAG repeat expansion. Altogether, ERVL LTRs provide molecular mechanisms for stochastically scanning, rewiring, and recycling genetic information on an extraordinary scale. ERVL LTRs thus offer means for a comprehensive survey of the genome's expression potential, tightly intertwining with gene expression and evolution in the germline.
- MeSH
- endogenní retroviry MeSH
- genetická transkripce MeSH
- koncové repetice * MeSH
- křečci praví MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- molekulární evoluce * MeSH
- myši MeSH
- oocyty cytologie metabolismus MeSH
- promotorové oblasti (genetika) MeSH
- regulace genové exprese * MeSH
- retroelementy * MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- zygota cytologie metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- křečci praví MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- myši MeSH
- skot MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
Initiation of zygotic transcription in mammals is poorly understood. In mice, zygotic transcription is first detected shortly after pronucleus formation in 1-cell embryos, but the identity of the transcribed loci and mechanisms regulating their expression are not known. Using total RNA-Seq, we have found that transcription in 1-cell embryos is highly promiscuous, such that intergenic regions are extensively expressed and thousands of genes are transcribed at comparably low levels. Striking is that transcription can occur in the absence of defined core-promoter elements. Furthermore, accumulation of translatable zygotic mRNAs is minimal in 1-cell embryos because of inefficient splicing and 3' processing of nascent transcripts. These findings provide novel insights into regulation of gene expression in 1-cell mouse embryos that may confer a protective mechanism against precocious gene expression that is the product of a relaxed chromatin structure present in 1-cell embryos. The results also suggest that the first zygotic transcription itself is an active component of chromatin remodeling in 1-cell embryos.
- MeSH
- 3' nepřekládaná oblast fyziologie MeSH
- chromatin metabolismus MeSH
- embryo savčí cytologie metabolismus MeSH
- genetická transkripce fyziologie MeSH
- myši MeSH
- restrukturace chromatinu fyziologie MeSH
- sestřih RNA fyziologie MeSH
- vývojová regulace genové exprese fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- zygota cytologie metabolismus MeSH
- Check Tag
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
In mammals, a single Dicer participates in biogenesis of small RNAs in microRNA (miRNA) and RNAi pathways. In mice, endogenous RNAi is highly active in oocytes, but not in somatic cells, which we ascribe here to an oocyte-specific Dicer isoform (Dicer(O)). Dicer(O) lacks the N-terminal DExD helicase domain and has higher cleavage activity than the full-length Dicer in somatic cells (Dicer(S)). Unlike Dicer(S), Dicer(O) efficiently produces small RNAs from long double-stranded (dsRNA) substrates. Expression of the Dicer(O) isoform is driven by an intronic MT-C retrotransposon promoter, deletion of which causes loss of Dicer(O) and female sterility. Oocytes from females lacking the MT-C element show meiotic spindle defects and increased levels of endogenous small interfering RNA (endo-siRNA) targets, phenocopying the maternal Dicer null phenotype. The alternative Dicer isoform, whose phylogenetic origin demonstrates evolutionary plasticity of RNA-silencing pathways, is the main determinant of endogenous RNAi activity in the mouse female germline.
- MeSH
- DEAD-box RNA-helikasy chemie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- exprese genu MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- malá interferující RNA chemie metabolismus MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- myši MeSH
- oocyty metabolismus MeSH
- promotorové oblasti (genetika) MeSH
- protein - isoformy chemie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- retroelementy * MeSH
- ribonukleasa III chemie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- ženská infertilita MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- myši MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH