1 Biology Department & Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4B 1R6.
2 Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry, and Pathology, Laval University, Centre de Recherche le CHU de Quebec, Quebec, Canada G1V 4G2.
3 Biology Department & Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4B 1R6 william.zerges@concordia.ca.

Localized control of oxidized RNA.

J Cell Sci. 2015 Nov 15;128(22):4210-9

Authors: Zhan Y, Dhaliwal JS, Adjibade P, Uniacke J, Mazroui R, Zerges W

Abstract

The oxidation of biological molecules by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can render them inactive or toxic. This includes the oxidation of RNA, which appears to underlie the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, aging and certain neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigate the management of oxidized RNA in the chloroplast of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Our immunofluorescence microscopy results reveal that oxidized RNA (with 8-hydroxyguanine) is localized in the pyrenoid, a chloroplast microcompartment where CO2 is assimilated by the Calvin cycle enzyme Rubisco. Results of genetic analyses support a requirement for the Rubisco large subunit (RBCL), but not Rubisco, in the management of oxidized RNA. An RBCL pool that can carry out such a 'moonlighting' function is revealed by results of biochemical fractionation experiments. We also show that human (HeLa) cells localize oxidized RNA to cytoplasmic foci that are distinct from stress granules, processing bodies and mitochondria. Our results suggest that the compartmentalization of oxidized RNA management is a general phenomenon and therefore has some fundamental significance.

PMID: 26449969 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]