Nonsense codon activation of endonuclease-mediated mRNA decay

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Project summary/abstract In erythroid cells a premature termination codon (PTC) in exons 1 or 2 of the beta-globin gene activates a cytoplasmic endonuclease that degrades beta-globin mRNA. The resulting loss of beta-globin expression is the mechanism underlying Cooley's anemia (beta-thalassemia), an often fatal disorder of hemoglobin production. Using cultured erythroid cells we showed that a PTC in exon 2 activates endonuclease cleavage by mPMR1, the mammalian ortholog of the Xenopus mRNA endonuclease PMR1. Biochemical differences in the decay of the PTC-containing beta-globin mRNA in erythroid versus non-erythorid cells indicate that a distinct process targets the decay of this mRNA in its native cell context. Aim 1 will characterize the details of the PTC- stimulated endonuclease decay in erythroid cells and determine the role of 3'-UTR elements in stabililzing the decay intermediates. A sensitive FRET-based assay developed to study the polarity of mRNA decay will be used to quantify the selective loss of exon 1 by endonuclease cleavage. Aim 2 will examine the relationship between the PTC-stimulated degradation of beta-globin mRNA and key proteins involved in mRNA surveillance (NMD) using RNAi and dominant negative proteins to interfere with key steps in the detection of a PTC and subsequent activation of endonuclease decay. Aim 3 will characterize the role of mPMR1 in the degradation of PTC-containing beta-globin mRNA and characterize tyrosine kinase activation of this process. Aim 4 will determine how the signal for recognition of a PTC is transduced to activate endonuclease cleavage using directed protein interaction analysis, tethering and RNAi to examine interactions between mPMR1 and key proteins involved in mRNA surveillance. The long-term goal of this research is to develop new treatments for beta-thalassemia by understanding the novel mechanisms involved in beta-globin mRNA decay in erythroid cells.