Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, the life cycle of mRNA molecules is modulated in response to environmental signals and cell-cell communication in order to support cellular homeostasis. Capping, splicing and polyadenylation in the nucleus lead to the formation of transcripts that are suitable for translation in cytoplasm, until mRNA decay occurs in P-bodies. Although pre-mRNA processing and degradation mechanisms have usually been studied separately, they occur simultaneously and in a coordinated manner through protein-protein interactions, maintaining the integrity of gene expression. In the past few years, the availability of the genome sequence of Entamoeba histolytica, the protozoan parasite responsible for human amoebiasis, coupled to the development of the so-called “omics” technologies provided new opportunities for the study of mRNA processing and turnover in this pathogen. Here, we review the current knowledge about the molecular basis for splicing, 3′ end formation and mRNA degradation in amoeba, which suggest the conservation of events related to mRNA life throughout evolution. We also present the functional characterization of some key proteins and describe some interactions that indicate the relevance of cooperative regulatory events for gene expression in this human parasite.
Highlights
The metabolism of messenger RNA is a complex process that is essential for gene expression regulation and mRNA turnover in response to environmental signals and cell-cell communication in eukaryotic cells
Analyses of the 9938 coding genes predicted in the first version of the genome indicated that E. histolytica has genes that encode proteins with homology to the majority of polyadenylation factors described in human and yeast (Table 2): the cleavage and specificity factor (CPSF160, 100, 73, and 30), the cleavage stimulating factor (CstF77, 64, and 50), the 25 kDa subunit of the cleavage factor Im (CFIm) and both C1P1 and PCF11 subunits of CFIIm, as well as FIP1, poly(A) polymerase (PAP), poly(A) binding protein (PABP), RBBP6 (Mpe1 in yeast), WDR33 (Psf2 in yeast), PNAS-120 (Ssu72 in yeast), and PC4 (Sub1 in yeast) (Figure 2) (López-Camarillo et al, 2005, 2014)
Besides the evolutionary distance between E. histolytica and its human host, the screening of parasite genome sequences and the functional characterization of specific factors, revealed that molecular mechanisms regulating mRNA processing and degradation seem to be roughly similar in both organisms
Summary
Jesús Valdés-Flores 1, Itzel López-Rosas 2, César López-Camarillo 3, Esther Ramírez-Moreno 4, Juan D. Pre-mRNA processing and degradation mechanisms have usually been studied separately, they occur simultaneously and in a coordinated manner through protein-protein interactions, maintaining the integrity of gene expression. In the past few years, the availability of the genome sequence of Entamoeba histolytica, the protozoan parasite responsible for human amoebiasis, coupled to the development of the so-called “omics” technologies provided new opportunities for the study of mRNA processing and turnover in this pathogen. We review the current knowledge about the molecular basis for splicing, 3′ end formation and mRNA degradation in amoeba, which suggest the conservation of events related to mRNA life throughout evolution. We present the functional characterization of some key proteins and describe some interactions that indicate the relevance of cooperative regulatory events for gene expression in this human parasite
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