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Methylation of viral RNA
Šimonová, Anna ; Macíčková Cahová, Hana (advisor) ; Sýkora, David (referee) ; Elleder, Daniel (referee)
Viruses are the major force that shapes the evolution of both pro- and eukaryotic organisms. They have a simple inner organization and contain only a few, usually well-described RNAs. In the case of +(ss)RNA viruses, their genomic RNA serves also as mRNA. This makes them a perfect model system for searching for new mRNA modifications as well as for understanding the role of already known modifications. In this work, Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) from the Retroviridae family was used as a model system. In the following study, four representatives from the Picornaviridae family were tested for RNA methylation profile. To get the information, a combination of two techniques was developed, liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and sequencing techniques. Results of LC-MS reveal a surprisingly high amount of 1-methyladenosine (m1 A) in RNA isolated from HIV-1. Nevertheless, the m1 A mapping sequencing technique confirm m1 A position only in co-packed tRNA. This led to the recalculation of HIV-1 virion RNA composition. In the case of Picornaviridae, LC-MS revealed m1 A and 5-methylcytidine (m5 C) in two insect viruses (Sacbrood virus, SBV and Deformed wing virus, DWV). RNA seq techniques (m1 A mapping and bisulfite sequencing) confirmed the presence of m1 A and m5 C only in tRNA....
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Ap4A-RNA in IgE activated mast cells
Potužník, Jiří František ; Macíčková Cahová, Hana (advisor) ; Černý, Jan (referee)
Mast cells are tissue resident members of the immune system. They have a wide range of functions and receptors including the FcεRI receptor, which gets activated by binding to IgE bound to an antigen. When the cells are activated in this manner, a process termed the LysRS- Ap4A-MITF signalling pathway occurs, resulting in the translocation of the Lys tRNA synthetase into the nucleus and an activation of its moonlighting activity - the production of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). Ap4A is a dinucleoside polyphosphate, a type of ubiquitous molecule present in all domains of life. They are made up of two nucleosides joined together by a 5' to 5' phosphodiester bridge of variable lengths. Recently, these molecules have been shown to serve as non-canonical initiating nucleotides during bacterial transcription, where they function as 5' RNA caps, similar to the well-known 7- methylguanosine eukaryotic mRNA cap. In this thesis, I present proof of existence of Ap 4A capped RNA in mast cells, a previously unknown 5' RNA structure in eukaryotic cells, and I attempt to pinpoint its role in the activation of these cells and in the wider context of mast cell mediated immune response. Keywords: mast cells, RNA caps, Dinucleoside polyphosphates, Ap 4A, RNA modification, IgE, FcεRI receptor, Lysine tRNA synthetase
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m6A RNA methylation in eukaryotic cells
Petržílková, Hana ; Staněk, David (advisor) ; Folk, Petr (referee)
The N6-methylation of adenosine (m6 A) is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic mRNA. This modification is deposited on RNA co-transcriptionally by the methyltransferase complexes and can also be "erased" by specific demethylases. The existence of m6 A demethylases makes the modification reversible and potentially dynamic, therefore, m6 A could have a function in gene expression regulation. Since the discovery of the first m6 A demethylase FTO, the m6 A has become a hot-topic in RNA-biology research. m6 A is found in mRNAs but also in various non-coding RNAs. Analysis of m6 A distribution on mRNAs revealed the enrichment of m6 A in proximity of a stop codon, in 3' UTRs and possibly around 5' and 3' splice-sites. So far two m6 A methyltransferases have been discovered in vertebrates, METTL3/METTL14 complex is the major methyltransferase and METTL16 deposits m6 A just on a specific subset of RNAs. Additionally, two m6 A demethylases are known - FTO and ALKBH5. Finally, members of protein family with a so-called YTH RNA binding domain were identified as m6 A binding proteins. m6 A serves as a signal affecting various steps of RNA metabolism such as mRNA splicing, nuclear export, translation or RNA degradation. Some of the effects are clearly mediated by the m6 A binding proteins, but also other...
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The function of 2'-O-methylated RNA in the context of viral infection
Potužník, Jiří ; Macíčková Cahová, Hana (advisor) ; Forstová, Jitka (referee)
RNA is subject to a wide array of post-transcriptional modifications. 2'-O-methylation is an essential intrinsic modification of RNA. It affects the structure and reactivity of the molecule as well as its function. 2'-O-methylation is highly conserved, present in all three domains of life. Viral RNA uses this modification to mimic the host and evade detection by the immune system. There are two main mechanisms, through which viral 2'-O-methylated RNA does this. The first is evading detection by a pattern recognition receptor form the RIG-I-like receptor family Mda5. Mda5 is capable of detecting unmethylated RNA and recognising it as non-self, thus initiating an immune response. The second mechanism the evasion and restriction of an effector molecule IFIT. IFIT proteins are capable of detecting the absence of 2'-O- methylation on viral RNAs and inhibiting their translation. They do this by interfering with the formation of the ternary complex, an essential member of ribosomal formation. Using viral 2'- O-methylation as a target for therapy, it is possible to develop attenuated vaccines. Keywords: viral RNA, RNA modifications, 2'-O-methylation, Mda5, IFIT, RIG-I-like receptors, epitranscriptomics, WNV, JEV
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