The m1A landscape on cytosolic and mitochondrial mRNA at single-base resolution

Modi Safra, Aldema Sas-Chen, Ronit Nir, Roni Winkler, Aharon Nachshon, Dan Bar-Yaacov, Matthias Erlacher, Walter Rossmanith, Noam Stern-Ginossar, Schraga Schwartz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Modifications on mRNA offer the potential of regulating mRNA fate post-transcriptionally. Recent studies suggested the widespread presence of N 1 -methyladenosine (m 1 A), which disrupts Watson-Crick base pairing, at internal sites of mRNAs. These studies lacked the resolution of identifying individual modified bases, and did not identify specific sequence motifs undergoing the modification or an enzymatic machinery catalysing them, rendering it challenging to validate and functionally characterize putative sites. Here we develop an approach that allows the transcriptome-wide mapping of m 1 A at single-nucleotide resolution. Within the cytosol, m 1 A is present in a low number of mRNAs, typically at low stoichiometries, and almost invariably in tRNA T-loop-like structures, where it is introduced by the TRMT6/TRMT61A complex. We identify a single m 1 A site in the mitochondrial ND5 mRNA, catalysed by TRMT10C, with methylation levels that are highly tissue specific and tightly developmentally controlled. m 1 A leads to translational repression, probably through a mechanism involving ribosomal scanning or translation. Our findings suggest that m 1 A on mRNA, probably because of its disruptive impact on base pairing, leads to translational repression, and is generally avoided by cells, while revealing one case in mitochondria where tight spatiotemporal control over m 1 A levels was adopted as a potential means of post-transcriptional regulation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)251-255
Number of pages5
JournalNature
Volume551
Issue number7679
DOIs
StatePublished - 9 Nov 2017

Keywords

  • Adenosine/analogs & derivatives
  • Base Pairing
  • Cytosol/metabolism
  • Electron Transport Complex I/biosynthesis
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins/genetics
  • Methylation
  • Methyltransferases/metabolism
  • Mitochondria/genetics
  • Mitochondrial Proteins/biosynthesis
  • Organ Specificity
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • RNA, Messenger/chemistry
  • RNA, Mitochondrial
  • RNA, Transfer/metabolism
  • RNA/chemistry
  • Transcriptome
  • tRNA Methyltransferases/genetics

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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