Mechanism of Internal Initiation of Translation in Plants

Original objectives Elucidation of PABP's role in crTMV148 IRES function in-vitro using wheat germ extract and krebs-2 cells extract. Fully achieved. Elucidation of PABP's role in crTMV148 IRES function in-vivo in Arabidopsis. Characterization of the physical interactions of PABP and other potential ITAFs with crTMV148 IRES. Partly achieved. To conduct search for additional ITAFs using different approaches and evaluate the candidates. Partly achieved. Background of the topic The power of internal translation via the activity of internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) elements allow coordinated synthesis of multiple gene products from a single transcription unit, and thereby enables to bypass the need for sequential transformation with multiple independent transgenes. The key goal of this project was to identify and analyze the IRES-trans-acting factors (ITAFs) that mediate the activity of a crucifer-infecting tobamovirus (crTMV148) IRES. The remarkable conservation of the IRES activity across the phylogenetic spectrum (yeast, plants and animals) strongly suggests that key ITAFs that mediate its activity are themselves highly conserved. Thus, crTMV148 IRES offers opportunity for elucidation of the fundamental mechanisms underlying internal translation in higher plants in order to enable its rational manipulation for the purpose of agricultural biotechnology. Major conclusions and achievements. - CrTMV IRES requires PABP for maximal activity. This conclusion was achieved by PABP depletion and reconstitution of wheat germ- and Krebs2-derived in-vitro translation assays using Arabidopsis-derived PABP2, 3, 5, 8 and yeast Pab1p. - Mutations in the internal polypurine tract of the IRES decrease the high-affinity binding of all phylogenetically divergent PABPs derived from Arabidopsis and yeast in electro mobility gel shift assays. - Mutations in the internal polypurine tract decrease IRES activity in-vivo. - The 3'-poly(A) tail enhances crTMV148 IRES activity more efficiently in the absence of 5'-methylated cap. - In-vivo assembled RNPs containing proteins specifically associated with the IRES were purified from HEK293 cells using the RNA Affinity in Tandem (RAT) approach followed by their identification by mass spectroscopy. - This study yielded a list of potential protein candidates that may serve as ITAFs of crTMV148 IRES activity, among them are a/b tubulin, a/g actin, GAPDH, enolase 1, ribonuclease/angiogenin inhibitor 1, 26S proteasome subunit p45, rpSA, eEF1Bδ, and proteasome b5 subunit. Implications, both scientific and agriculture. The fact that the 3'-poly(A) tail enhances crTMV148 IRES activity more efficiently in the absence of 5'-methylated cap suggests a potential joint interaction between PABP, the IRES sequence and the 3'-poly(A). This has an important scientific implication related to IRES function in general.