Stubbe François-Xavier, Ponsard Pauline, Steiner Florian A, Hermand Damien
URPHYM-GEMO, The University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Nat Commun. 2025 Mar 17;16(1):2624. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-57847-x.
During exit from Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) L1 developmental arrest, a network of growth- and developmental genes is activated, many of which are organized into operons where transcriptional termination is uncoupled from mRNA 3'-end processing. CDK-12-mediated Pol II CTD S2 phosphorylation enhances SL2 trans-splicing at downstream operonic genes, preventing premature termination and ensuring proper gene expression for developmental progression. Using a genetic screen, we identified the SSUP-72/PINN-1 module as a suppressor of defects induced by CDK-12 inhibition. Loss of SSUP-72/PINN-1 bypasses the requirement for CDK-12 in post-embryonic development. Genome-wide analyses reveal that SSUP-72, a CTD S5P phosphatase, affects Pol II 3' pausing and regulates intra-operon termination. Our findings establish SSUP-72/PINN-1 as a key regulator of Pol II dynamics, coordinating operonic gene expression and growth during C. elegans post-embryonic development.
在秀丽隐杆线虫(C. elegans)从L1发育停滞状态退出的过程中,一个由生长和发育基因组成的网络被激活,其中许多基因被组织成操纵子,转录终止与mRNA 3'端加工解偶联。CDK-12介导的Pol II CTD S2磷酸化增强了下游操纵子基因处的SL2反式剪接,防止过早终止并确保发育进程中基因的正确表达。通过遗传筛选,我们鉴定出SSUP-72/PINN-1模块是CDK-12抑制诱导缺陷的抑制因子。SSUP-72/PINN-1的缺失绕过了胚胎后发育中对CDK-12的需求。全基因组分析表明,CTD S5P磷酸酶SSUP-72影响Pol II 3'停顿并调节操纵子内终止。我们的研究结果确立了SSUP-72/PINN-1作为Pol II动力学的关键调节因子,在秀丽隐杆线虫胚胎后发育过程中协调操纵子基因表达和生长。