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Ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes requires the coordinated production and assembly of 80 ribosomal proteins and four ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and its rate must be synchronized with cellular growth. Here, we showed that the Microprocessor complex, which mediates the first step of microRNA processing, potentiated the transcription of ribosomal protein genes by eliminating DNA/RNA hybrids known as R-loops. Nutrient deprivation triggered the nuclear export of Drosha, a key component of the Microprocessor complex, and its subsequent degradation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Nedd4, thereby reducing ribosomal protein production and protein synthesis. In mouse erythroid progenitors, conditional deletion of Drosha led to the reduced production of ribosomal proteins, translational inhibition of the mRNA encoding the erythroid transcription factor Gata1, and impaired erythropoiesis. This phenotype mirrored the clinical presentation of human "ribosomopathies." Thus, the Microprocessor complex plays a pivotal role in synchronizing protein synthesis capacity with cellular growth rate and is a potential drug target for anemias caused by ribosomal insufficiency., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.)

RNA-sequencing protocols can quantify gene expression regulation from transcription to protein synthesis. Ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) maps the positions of translating ribosomes over the entire transcriptome. We have developed RiboTaper (available at https://ohlerlab.mdc-berlin.de/software/), a rigorous statistical approach that identifies translated regions on the basis of the characteristic three-nucleotide periodicity of Ribo-seq data. We used RiboTaper with deep Ribo-seq data from HEK293 cells to derive an extensive map of translation that covered open reading frame (ORF) annotations for more than 11,000 protein-coding genes. We also found distinct ribosomal signatures for several hundred upstream ORFs and ORFs in annotated noncoding genes (ncORFs). Mass spectrometry data confirmed that RiboTaper achieved excellent coverage of the cellular proteome. Although dozens of novel peptide products were validated in this manner, few of the currently annotated long noncoding RNAs appeared to encode stable polypeptides. RiboTaper is a powerful method for comprehensive de novo identification of actively used ORFs from Ribo-seq data.

Efforts to precisely identify tumor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) bound peptides capable of mediating T cell-based tumor rejection still face important challenges. Recent studies suggest that non-canonical tumor-specific HLA peptides derived from annotated non-coding regions could elicit anti-tumor immune responses. However, sensitive and accurate mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteogenomics approaches are required to robustly identify these non-canonical peptides. We present an MS-based analytical approach that characterizes the non-canonical tumor HLA peptide repertoire, by incorporating whole exome sequencing, bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, ribosome profiling, and two MS/MS search tools in combination. This approach results in the accurate identification of hundreds of shared and tumor-specific non-canonical HLA peptides, including an immunogenic peptide derived from an open reading frame downstream of the melanoma stem cell marker gene ABCB5. These findings hold great promise for the discovery of previously unknown tumor antigens for cancer immunotherapy. Non-canonical HLA-bound peptides from presumed non-coding regions are potential targets for cancer immunotherapy, but their discovery remains challenging. Here, the authors integrate exome sequencing, transcriptomics, ribosome profiling, and immunopeptidomics to identify tumor-specific non-canonical HLA-bound peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By mapping the positions of millions of translating ribosomes in the cell, ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) has established its role as a powerful tool to study gene expression. Several laboratories have introduced modifications to the experimental protocol and expanded the repertoire of biochemical methods to study translation transcriptome-wide. However, the diversity of protocols highlights a need for standardization. At the same time, different computational analysis strategies have used Ribo-seq data to identify the set of translated sequences with high confidence. In this review we present an overview of such methodologies, outlining their assumptions, data requirements, and availability. At the interface between RNA and proteins, Ribo-seq can complement data from multiple omics approaches, zooming in on the central role of translation in the molecular cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep sequencing of ribosome footprints (ribosome profiling) maps and quantifies mRNA translation. Because ribosomes decode mRNA every 3 nt, the periodic property of ribosome footprints could be used to identify novel translated ORFs. However, due to the limited resolution of existing methods, the 3-nt periodicity is observed mostly in a global analysis, but not in individual transcripts. Here, we report a protocol applied to Arabidopsis that maps over 90% of the footprints to the main reading frame and thus offers super-resolution profiles for individual transcripts to precisely define translated regions. The resulting data not only support many annotated and predicted noncanonical translation events but also uncover small ORFs in annotated noncoding RNAs and pseudogenes. A substantial number of these unannotated ORFs are evolutionarily conserved, and some produce stable proteins. Thus, our study provides a valuable resource for plant genomics and an efficient optimization strategy for ribosome profiling in other organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene expression in human tissue has primarily been studied on the transcriptional level, largely neglecting translational regulation. Here, we analyze the translatomes of 80 human hearts to identify new translation events and quantify the effect of translational regulation. We show extensive translational control of cardiac gene expression, which is orchestrated in a process-specific manner. Translation downstream of predicted disease-causing protein-truncating variants appears to be frequent, suggesting inefficient translation termination. We identify hundreds of previously undetected microproteins, expressed from lncRNAs and circRNAs, for which we validate the protein products in vivo. The translation of microproteins is not restricted to the heart and prominent in the translatomes of human kidney and liver. We associate these microproteins with diverse cellular processes and compartments and find that many locate to the mitochondria. Importantly, dozens of microproteins are translated from lncRNAs with well-characterized noncoding functions, indicating previously unrecognized biology. • Ribosome profiling reveals the principles of translational control in human tissue • Ribosomes translate mRNAs downstream of protein-truncating variants • Functionally characterized lncRNAs and circRNAs produce microproteins in vivo • Microproteins can be implicated in mitochondrial and other cellular processes Translational profiling in a primary human tissue reveals frequent translation downstream of predicted disease-causing variants as well as translation of hundreds of microproteins from long noncoding RNAs and circular RNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]