Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, 2014.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David)
Other Authors: Phillip A. Sharp.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89938
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author Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David)
author2 Phillip A. Sharp.
author_facet Phillip A. Sharp.
Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David)
author_sort Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David)
collection MIT
description Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, 2014.
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spelling mit-1721.1/899382019-04-11T07:27:12Z Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David) Phillip A. Sharp. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biology. Biology. Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, 2014. Vita. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references. regulators of gene expression in a wide range of organisms and biological processes. Each miRNA guides Argonaute (Ago) protein complexes to target and repress hundreds of genes in a sequence-dependent manner. To identify all targets of miRNA regulation, we performed UV crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) of Ago complexes in mouse embryonic (ESC) and mesenchymal (MSC) stem cell lines. We also captured the genome-wide miRNA-independent binding footprint of Ago by performing CLIP in cells that lack Dicer, an enzyme required for mature miRNA biogenesis. We surprisingly found that Ago bound a similar set of genes in the absence of Dicer, and this overlap in target genes was due partially to residual, unprocessed miRNAs in the Dicer KO cells. Other potential sites of miRNA-independent Ago interactions, such as histone transcripts and poly-A cleavage and polyadenylation sites, were also identified. One Ago CLIP dataset revealed the enrichment for a G-rich sequence motif at Ago target sites. We later demonstrated that the G-motif is not directly bound to Ago but rather is enriched near miRNA-guided Ago binding sites. Its presence near miRNA target sites is associated with stronger repression of Ago-miRNA targets. Fortuitously, the original Ago CLIP dataset that identified the G-motif was later shown to likely contain target sites of another co-immunoprecipitating RNA binding protein (RBP). Using mass spectroscopy of Ago antibody immunoprecipitations from Ago KO cells, we identified a list of interacting RBPs that could potentially augment Ago-miRNA activity through the G-motif. To investigate target competition in miRNA networks, we related our CLIP analysis of genome-wide, quantitative Ago binding to measurements of absolute miRNA and target RNA concentrations. We found that all miRNAs other than the miR-290 family in ESCs and let-7 family in MSCs were expressed at concentrations below their total target pool. However, 8-12 miRNA families were expressed at near or greater than equimolar ratios with their pool of high affinity targets, and this affinity-partitioned stoichiometry led to significant Ago accumulation and repression of high affinity target sites despite little consequential binding at low affinity sites. Single-cell reporter assays demonstrated that high expressed miRNAs are not susceptible to physiological inductions of competing target transcripts but targets of lower expressed miRNAs are derepressed in a weakly threshold-like manner upon increased target pool levels. In summary, we identify a network of confidently bound targets of miRNA regulation in ESCs and MSCs, reveal the extent of miRNA-independent binding in these two cell types, provide a list of potential miRNA enhancer RBPs, and create a quantitative context for evaluating target competition in miRNA networks. by Andrew D. Bosson. Ph. D. 2014-09-19T21:29:49Z 2014-09-19T21:29:49Z 2014 2014 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89938 890123669 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 215, 61, [1] pages application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Biology.
Bosson, Andrew D. (Andrew David)
Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title_full Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title_fullStr Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title_full_unstemmed Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title_short Modulation of Ago-miRNA regulatory networks by cis-sequence elements and target competition
title_sort modulation of ago mirna regulatory networks by cis sequence elements and target competition
topic Biology.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/89938
work_keys_str_mv AT bossonandrewdandrewdavid modulationofagomirnaregulatorynetworksbycissequenceelementsandtargetcompetition