Ge-1 is a central component of the mammalian cytoplasmic mRNA processing body (original) (raw)

  1. JIANG HONG YU1,4,
  2. WEI-HONG YANG1,4,
  3. TOD GULICK2,
  4. KENNETH D. BLOCH3, and
  5. DONALD B. BLOCH1
  6. 1Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, The Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases; 2The Diabetes Research Laboratory; and 3The Cardiovascular Research Center of the General Medical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA

Abstract

The mRNA processing body (P-body) is a cellular structure that regulates gene expression by degrading cytoplasmic mRNA. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize novel components of the mammalian P-body. Approximately 5% of patients with the autoimmune disease primary biliary cirrhosis have antibodies directed against this structure. Serum from one of these patients was used to identify a cDNA encoding Ge-1, a 1401-amino-acid protein. Ge-1 contains an N-terminal WD40 motif and C-terminal domains characterized by a repeating ψ(X2–3) motif. Ge-1 co-localized with previously identified P-body components, including proteins involved in mRNA decapping (DCP1a and DCP2) and the autoantigen GW182. The Ge-1 C-terminal domain was necessary and sufficient to target the protein to P-bodies. Following exposure of cells to oxidative stress, Ge-1-containing P-bodies were found adjacent to TIA-containing stress granules. During the recovery period, TIA returned to the nucleus while Ge-1-containing P-bodies localized to the perinuclear region. siRNA-mediated knock-down of Ge-1 resulted in loss of P-bodies containing Ge-1, DCP1a, and DCP2. In contrast, Ge-1-containing P-bodies persisted despite knock-down of DCP2. Taken together, the results of this study show that Ge-1 is a central component of P-bodies and suggest that Ge-1 may act prior to the 5′-decapping step in mRNA degradation.

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