RNA granule protein 140 (RNG140), a paralog of RNG105 localized to distinct RNA granules in neuronal dendrites in the adult vertebrate brain.

RNA granules mediate the transport and local translation of their mRNA cargoes, which regulate cellular processes such as stress response and neuronal synaptic plasticity. RNA granules contain specific RNA-binding proteins, including RNA granule protein 105 (RNG105), which is likely to participate in the transport and translation of mRNAs. In the present report, an RNG105 paralog, RNG140 is described. A homolog of RNG105/RNG140 is found in insects, echinoderms, and urochordates, whereas vertebrates have both of the two genes. RNG140 and RNG105 are similar in that both bind to mRNAs and inhibit translation in vitro, induce the formation of RNA granules, are most highly expressed in the brain, and are localized to dendritic RNA granules, part of which are accumulated at postsynapses. However, they differ in several characteristics; RNG105 is highly expressed in embryonic brains, whereas RNG140 is highly expressed in adult brains. Furthermore, the granules where RNG105 or RNG140 is localized are distinct RNA granules in both cultured cells and neuronal dendrites. Thus, RNG140 is an RNA-binding protein that shows different expression and localization patterns from RNG105. Knockdown experiments in cultured neurons also are performed, which demonstrate that suppression of RNG140 or RNG105 reduces dendrite length and spine density. Knockdown effects of RNG140 were not rescued by RNG105, and vise versa, suggesting distinct roles of RNG105 and RNG140. These results suggest that RNG140 has roles in the maintenance of the dendritic structure in the adult vertebrate brain through localizing to a kind of RNA granules that are distinct from RNG105-containing granules.