Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan.
Department of Pharmacology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
Genes Cells. 2023 Feb;28(2):111-128. doi: 10.1111/gtc.12997. Epub 2023 Jan 4.
STATa is a pivotal transcription factor for Dictyostelium development. dutA is the most abundant RNA transcribed by RNA polymerase II in Dictyostelium, and its functional interplay with STATa has been suggested. This study demonstrates that dutA RNA molecules are distributed as spot-like structures in the cytoplasm, and that its cell type-specific expression changes dramatically during development. dutA RNA was exclusively detectable in the prespore region of slugs and then predominantly localized in prestalk cells, including the organizer region, at the Mexican hat stage before most dutA transcripts, excluding those in prestalk O cells, disappeared as culmination proceeded. dutA RNA was not translated into small peptides from any potential open reading frame, which confirmed that it is a cytoplasmic lncRNA. Ectopic expression of dutA RNA in the organizer region of slugs caused a prolonged slug migration period. In addition, buffered suspension-cultured cells of the strain displayed reduced STATa nuclear translocation and phosphorylation on Tyr702. Analysis of gene expression in various dutA mutants revealed changes in the levels of several STATa-regulated genes, such as the transcription factors mybC and gtaG, which might affect the phenotype. dutA RNA may regulate several mRNA species, thereby playing an indirect role in STATa activation.
STATa 是狄氏剂发育的关键转录因子。 dutA 是狄氏剂中 RNA 聚合酶 II 转录的最丰富的 RNA，其与 STATa 的功能相互作用已被提出。本研究表明 dutA RNA 分子在细胞质中呈点状结构分布，其细胞类型特异性表达在发育过程中发生显著变化。 dutA RNA 仅在 slugs 的前孢子区可检测到，然后主要定位于前芽孢细胞中，包括墨西哥帽阶段的组织者区域，在大多数 dutA 转录物消失之前，除了前芽孢 O 细胞中的转录物外。 dutA RNA 没有从任何潜在的开放阅读框翻译为小肽，这证实它是一种细胞质 lncRNA。 dutA RNA 在 slugs 的组织者区域的异位表达导致 slug 迁移期延长。此外，缓冲悬浮培养的细胞显示 STATa 核易位和 Tyr702 磷酸化减少。对各种 dutA 突变体的基因表达分析显示，几种 STATa 调节基因的水平发生变化，例如转录因子 mybC 和 gtaG，这可能影响表型。 dutA RNA 可能调节几种 mRNA 物种，从而在 STATa 激活中发挥间接作用。
