Download MendeleyStructural recognition of the mRNA 3' UTR by PUF-8 restricts the lifespan of C. elegans.
Xu, Z., Zhao, J., Hong, M., Zeng, C., Guang, S., Shi, Y.(2021) Nucleic Acids Res 49: 10082-10097
- PubMed: 34478557
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab754
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7CGF, 7CGG, 7CGH, 7CGI, 7CGJ, 7CGK, 7CGL, 7CGM - PubMed Abstract:
The molecular mechanisms of aging are unsolved fundamental biological questions. Caenorhabditis elegans is an ideal model organism for investigating aging. PUF-8, a PUF (Pumilio and FBF) protein in C. elegans, is crucial for germline development through binding with the 3' untranslated regions (3' UTR) in the target mRNAs. Recently, PUF-8 was reported to alter mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy by regulating MFF-1, a mitochondrial fission factor, and subsequently regulated longevity. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the PUF domain of PUF-8 with an RNA substrate. Mutagenesis experiments were performed to alter PUF-8 recognition of its target mRNAs. Those mutations reduced the fertility and extended the lifespan of C. elegans. Deep sequencing of total mRNAs from wild-type and puf-8 mutant worms as well as in vivo RNA Crosslinking and Immunoprecipitation (CLIP) experiments identified six PUF-8 regulated genes, which contain at least one PUF-binding element (PBE) at the 3' UTR. One of the six genes, pqm-1, is crucial for lipid storage and aging process. Knockdown of pqm-1 could revert the lifespan extension of puf-8 mutant animals. We conclude that PUF-8 regulate the lifespan of C. elegans may not only via MFF but also via modulating pqm-1-related pathways.
Organizational Affiliation:
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, P.R. China.
