Arabidopsis tRNA-derived fragments as potential modulators of translation.
Fiche publication
Date publication
août 2020
Journal
RNA biology
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr MARÉCHAL-DROUARD Laurence
Tous les auteurs :
Lalande S, Merret R, Salinas-Giegé T, Drouard L
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
Transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) exist in all branches of life. They are involved in RNA degradation, regulation of gene expression, ribosome biogenesis. In archaebacteria, kinetoplastid, yeast, and human cells, they were also shown to regulate translation. In Arabidopsis, the tRFs population fluctuates under developmental or environmental conditions but their functions are yet poorly understood. Here, we show that populations of long (30-35 nt) or short (19-25 nt) tRFs produced from Arabidopsis tRNAs can inhibit translation of a reporter gene. Analysing a series of oligoribonucleotides mimicking natural tRFs, we demonstrate that only a limited set of tRFs possess the ability to affect protein synthesis. Out of a dozen of tRFs, only two deriving from tRNA(AGC) and tRNA(GUU) strongly attenuate translation . Contrary to human tRF(Ala), the 4 Gs present at the 5' extremity of Arabidopsis tRF(Ala) are not implicated in this inhibition while the G and G residues are essential. Protein synthesis inhibition by tRFs does not require complementarity with the translated mRNA but, having the capability to be associated with polyribosomes, tRFs likely act as general modulation factors of the translation process in plants.
Mots clés
Protein synthesis, plant, polyribosomes, small non-coding RNAs, tRNAs
Référence
RNA Biol. 2020 08;17(8):1137-1148