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Analysis of mutual interactions of the human multifactor complex components in translation initiation
Prilepskaja, Terezie ; Valášek, Leoš (advisor) ; Demo, Gabriel (referee) ; Mašek, Tomáš (referee)
A key task of translation initiation is to select a proper start codon. The start codon defines not only the position from which the protein translation is initiated but also the reading frame in which the protein sequence is decoded. The accuracy of start codon recognition is controlled by number of initiation factors (eIFs) and their mutual interactions. One of them, the largest, is called eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3). The exact mechanism by which eIF3 affects the accuracy of start codon recognition is not understood. Here, using CryoEM, formaldehyde gradient cross- linking and various biochemical methods, we elucidated contributions of individual human eIF3 subunits to this intricate process. In particular, my work and the work of our collaborators revealed that eIF3d promotes loading of eIF3 to the ribosome at the onset of initiation and that the minimalistic eIF3 subcomplex (YLC - for Yeast Like Complex) still preserves basic eIF3 functions, like formation of the 43S pre- initiation complex (PIC) and mRNA recruitment. Another study then implicated human eIF3c is fine-tuning the fidelity of start codon recognition, as downregulation of eIF3c causes a codon- specific decrease in start codon recognition fidelity and an increase in the eIF5 abundance; eIF5 is together with eIFs 1, 1A and...
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Interaction partners of protein eIF4E2 in human cells
Pospíšilová, Klára ; Pospíšek, Martin (advisor) ; Hálová, Martina (referee)
Protein eIF4E2 belongs to the family of eukaryotic translation initiation factors 4E, but it does not participate in translation initiation under normal circumstances. Its main role lies in translational repression of specific mRNAs. Nevertheless eIF4E2 takes part in translation initiation as a subunit of a specific translation initiation complex in hypoxic conditions. The exact mechanism in which eIF4E2 takes part in either of these processes is not known. One way to study the role of eIF4E2 in the cell is to find out what other proteins does eIF4E2 interact with. The goal of this work was to seek out potential eIF4E2-interacting partners in the HEK293 cell line using immunoprecipitation followed by mass spek- trometry. Apart from finding individual proteins the goal was to identify eIF4E2-containig protein com- plexes in HEK293 cells. A second line of work was preparation of a system for screening inhibitors of the interaction between eIF4E2 and eIF4G3. The main result is finding potential new eIF4E2-intera- cting partners in human cells.
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Novel hepatitis C virus proteins
Zeman, Jakub ; Vopálenský, Václav (advisor) ; Horníková, Lenka (referee)
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major etiological agent of chronic liver diseases. More than 170 million people worldwide are chronically infected, and more than 100 thousand of them develop hepatocellular carcinoma a year. HCV is an enveloped, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus (+ssRNA virus) of the family Flaviviridae. Its genome is translated to produce a single polyprotein precursor that is further processed by cellular and viral proteases to form 10 viral proteins. Moreover, there is another protein encoded in an alternative reading frame. Two alternative translation mechanisms have been proposed for expression of this alternative reading frame protein (ARFP): a frameshift mechanism and translation initiating from internal start codons. Despite ten years of research its role in vivo is not yet explained. It appears that secondary structures in the core encoding region of HCV genome but not ARFP expression are required for robust viral translation and replication. The results of recent studies suggest that mutations distorting these structures may result not only in slowing down the viral cycle but also in a brand new and utterly unusual serological profile in patients as well as an increased level of expression of ARFP.
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mTORC1 complex function in regulation of translation initiation
Holásková, Lucie ; Feketová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Čáp, Michal (referee)
My bachelor thesis deals with the effect of mTOR pathway to different processes in the cell. In particular, it focuses on the influence of translation initiation. mTOR protein is part of two complexes, which occur in different organisms - mTORC1 and mTORC2. Eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) plays an important role in controlling translation initiation. The activity of eIF4E protein is regulated by family of repressor 4E-binding proteins (4E-BPs). Linking these proteins to eIF4E is regulated by their phosphorylation state. For the release of 4E-BP1 from eIF4E, phosphorylation must occur at four phosphorylation sites (Thr37, Thr46, Ser65 and Thr70). The study also covers some of the other events that occur in the mTOR pathway.
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Screening for the HCV IRES interacting proteins
Roučová, Kristina ; Pospíšek, Martin (advisor) ; Kuthan, Martin (referee)
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a worldwide spread pathogen infecting up to 3 % of the human population. Nowadays, research of new drugs against this virus is focused on the individual steps in its life cycle, including the translation initiation. In the case of HCV translation initiation is dependent on the internal ribosome entry site (IRES). Besides of components of the translational machinery also other components of the cell, so called IRES trans-acting factors (ITAF), contribute to its proper progress. This work continues in previous research of our laboratory focused on searching for new ITAF. In order to search for potential ITAF increasing HCV IRES activity new recombinant plasmid vectors and reference strains were prepared and selection conditions of the selection system were optimized. The differences in the growth characteristics of the reference strains were analyzed and quantified under selective and non-selective conditions. A set of pilot high efficiency transformations of the yeast strain pJ69-4A carrying bicistronic construct with HCV IRES were conducted using human expression cDNA library in order to optimize the efficiency of transformation and selection conditions and to attempt to identify new ITAF. Several dozens of randomly selected clones from these transformations obtained under...
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RNAi of the a subunit of human translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3).
Peclinovská, Lucie ; Stiborová, Marie (advisor) ; Martínková, Markéta (referee)
Translation initiation is the first step of protein synthesis that captures the flow of gene expression pathway in all living organisms. The advantage of regulation of gene expression at the level of translation initiation is that it allows for more rapid changes in the proteome and serves as the rate limiting step under certain conditions such as stress. This process is masterminded by many initiation factors. One of them, a multisubunit eukaryotic initiation factor 3 (eIF3), is a very efficient player in this field taking a part in the most of the initiation steps. The largest subunit of the eIF3 complex is called eIF3a p170 and TIF32 in mammals and yeast, respectively, and at least in yeast, it was shown to represent an essential constituent of the translational machinery. This work is based on all that has been learned about the eIF3a roles in translation initiation in the model organism of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in effort to examine the degree of the functional conservation with its human ortholog. This is achieved by the RNAi-mediated knock-down of eIF3a in HeLa and HEK cell lines followed by variety of well established assays to monitor translational status of eIF3a depleted cells. In the first part, I describe optimization of the RNA interference protocol with respect to the choice...
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Preparation of yeast system for investigation of the human translation initiation
Holásková, Lucie ; Pospíšek, Martin (advisor) ; Cuchalová, Lucie (referee)
Protein synthesis is principally regulated at the initiation stage in which eIF4F complex plays an important role. The eIF4F complex contains three subunits - eIF4A, eIF4E and eIF4G. The eIF4E is cap binding protein, the eIF4A is RNA dependent helicase which unwinds secondary structures at mRNA and scaffolding eIF4G protein. The interaction with other translation initiation factors is important for protein synthesis. The goal of my thesis was to create a new Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain with the human eIF4F factor. Firstly I replaced yeast eIF4E protein with human eIF4E protein. I used a cre/loxP recombination to prepare yeast strains with deleted genes eIF4GI (huΔ4G1) and eIF4GII (huΔ4G2). Characterization of the new yeast strains showed that the human eIF4E protein replaced yeast ortholog factor better than the eIF4E protein from yeast Candida albicans. First experiments showed putative role of the eIF4GII protein during the cell growth under the temperature and osmotic stress. Key words: translation initiation, eIF4E, eIF4G, Saccharomyces cerevisiae
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Preparation and validation of a system for the study of regulation of gene expression of yeast linear cytoplasmic plasmids
Horáčková, Kamila ; Vopálenský, Václav (advisor) ; Čáp, Michal (referee)
There is currently very few information about the transaltion of linear cytoplasmatic plasmids occured in yeast cells Kluyveromyces lactis. However, there is a relatively well developer information about their transcription apparatus. A study of transkript linear plasmids revealed an atypical organization at the 5ʼ end. Those ends contain nontemplate polyadenylation and they are missing the N7 methylguanosine hat. Because of the presence of this structure, which is localized at 5ʼend of plasmids specific mRNA, raised a question regarding the iniciation of the translation. The present thesis is focused on the preparation of reporter systém suitable for studying the influence of a number of the nontemplate adenosins, which were added at the 5ʼ ends of mRNA linear plasmids. The frist step was making a construction of dual yeast cell plasmids carring two reporters genes, which are under the controle of two different promoters. After a successfull construction, the aktivity of promoters TEF1 and PGK1 was measured, whereby the promoter TEF1 proved twice stronger. The transcription start site of both promotor was determined. The second step was the construction of a reporter system directly in yeast cell plasmid pGKL. Reporter genes were under the controle of two promoters originating from the pGKL...
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4E translation initiation factors and their influence on regulation of gene expression
Lettrich, Patrik ; Mašek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Převorovský, Martin (referee)
The translation represents one of the most crucial processes in the cell. That is why it is often targeted by various regulations. Its initiation phase has a particularly important role in regulatory processes. Initiation of translation usually starts by recognition and binding of canonical eukaryotic initiation factor 4E1 (eIF4E1) to the methylguanosine cap present on the 5' end of the majority of eukaryotic mRNA. The family of 4E translation initiation factors contains two more members - eIF4E2 and eIF4E3. Those two proteins can bind cap structure as well which predetermines it to function in the regulation of translation. Protein eIF4E2 is well known for being a translational repressor in development processes and it takes part in specific miRNA-dependent silencing. It was proven to be able to initiate translation in hypoxia which is consistent with its proposed role in hypoxic tumor cells. The biological roles of the protein eIF4E3 are much less understood. This thesis propounds the picture of the overall functions of all discussed translation initiation factors using cell lines with their overexpression or deletion. Experimental data confirmed the role of the eIF4E2 in the regulation of developmental processes. Cell lines with deleted eIF4E2 and eIF4E3 were characterized based on the influence...
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Binding of eIF3 in complex with eIF5 and eIF1 to the 40S ribosomal subunit is accompanied by dramatic structural changes
Zeman, Jakub
In eukaryotic translation, eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are at least as important as the ribosome itself. Some of these factors play different roles throughout the entire process to ensure proper assembly of the preinitiation complex on mRNA, accurate selection of the initiation codon, errorless production of the encoded polypeptide and its proper termination. Perhaps, the most important factor integrating signals from others and coordinating their functions on the ribosome is eIF3. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, eIF3 is formed by five subunits. All these subunits contain structural motifs responsible for contact with ribosomal proteins and RNAs. In addition to these highly structured parts, the rest of eIF3 is unstructured and very flexible. Therefore, despite the recent progress thanks to the use of a cryo-electron microscopy, a precise structure and position of eIF3 on the 40S ribosomal subunit are still not known. Also, the presence of eIF3 on 80S during early elongation and its role in reinitiation and readthrough are not fully understood. In order to crack mysteries of yeast eIF3, we used x-ray crystallography, chemical cross- linking coupled to mass spectrometry, and various biochemical and genetic assays. We demonstrated that eIF3 is very compactly packed when free in solution. This...
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