Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies host dependency factors for influenza A virus infection.

Host dependency factors that are required for influenza A virus infection may serve as therapeutic targets as the virus is less likely to bypass them under drug-mediated selection pressure. Previous attempts to identify host factors have produced largely divergent results, with few overlapping hits across different studies. Here, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen and devise a new approach, meta-analysis by information content (MAIC) to systematically combine our results with prior evidence for influenza host factors. MAIC out-performs other meta-analysis methods when using our CRISPR screen as validation data. We validate the host factors, WDR7, CCDC115 and TMEM199, demonstrating that these genes are essential for viral entry and regulation of V-type ATPase assembly. We also find that CMTR1, a human mRNA cap methyltransferase, is required for efficient viral cap snatching and regulation of a cell autonomous immune response, and provides synergistic protection with the influenza endonuclease inhibitor Xofluza.

Developmental characterization of the microRNA-specific C. elegans Argonautes alg-1 and alg-2.

The genes alg-1 and alg-2 (referred to as "alg-1/2") encode the Argonaute proteins affiliated to the microRNA (miRNA) pathway in C. elegans. Bound to miRNAs they form the effector complex that effects post-transcriptional gene silencing. In order to define biological features important to understand the mode of action of these Argonautes, we characterize aspects of these genes during development. We establish that alg-1/2 display an overlapping spatio-temporal expression profile and shared association to a miRNAs set, but with gene-specific predominant expression in various cells and increased relative association to defined miRNAs. Congruent with their spatio-temporal coincidence and regardless of alg-1/2 drastic post-embryonic differences, only loss of both genes leads to embryonic lethality. Embryos without zygotic alg-1/2 predominantly arrest during the morphogenetic process of elongation with defects in the epidermal-muscle attachment structures. Altogether our results highlight similarities and specificities of the alg-1/2 likely to be explained at different cellular and molecular levels.

The microRNA pathway controls germ cell proliferation and differentiation in C. elegans.

The discovery of the miRNA pathway revealed a new layer of molecular control of biological processes. To uncover new functions of this gene regulatory pathway, we undertook the characterization of the two miRNA-specific Argonaute proteins in Caenorhabditis elegans, ALG-1 and ALG-2. We first observed that the loss-of-function of alg-1 and alg-2 genes resulted in reduced progeny number. An extensive analysis of the germline of these mutants revealed a reduced mitotic region, indicating fewer proliferating germ cells. We also observed an early entry into meiosis in alg-1 and alg-2 mutant animals. We detected ALG-1 and ALG-2 protein expressions in the distal tip cell (DTC), a specialized cell located at the tip of both C. elegans gonadal arms that regulates mitosis-meiosis transition. Re-establishing the expression of alg-1 specifically in the DTC of mutant animals partially rescued the observed germline defects. Further analyses also support the implication of the miRNA pathway in gametogenesis. Interestingly, we observed that disruption of five miRNAs expressed in the DTC led to similar phenotypes. Finally, gene expression analysis of alg-1 mutant gonads suggests that the miRNA pathway is involved in the regulation of different pathways important for germline proliferation and differentiation. Collectively, our data indicate that the miRNA pathway plays a crucial role in the control of germ cell biogenesis in C. elegans.

Implication of BRCA2 -26G>A 5' untranslated region polymorphism in susceptibility to sporadic breast cancer and its modulation by p53 codon 72 Arg>Pro polymorphism.

INTRODUCTION: The absence of mutation or promoter hypermethylation in the BRCA2 gene in the majority of breast cancer cases has indicated alternative ways of its involvement, deregulated expression being one possibility. We show how a polymorphism in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of BRCA2 can serve as one such factor. Based on the hypothesis that variants of genes involved in the same pathway can influence the risk provided for breast cancer, the status of p53 codon 72 polymorphism was also investigated and a possible interaction between the polymorphisms was examined. METHODS: The luciferase reporter assay followed by RNA secondary structure analysis was used for the functional characterization of -26 5' UTR G>A polymorphism in BRCA2. The genotype and the allele frequency for the polymorphisms were determined and relative risk adjusted for age was calculated in a case-control study of 576 individuals (243 patients and 333 controls) from north India. RESULTS: -26 G>A polymorphism in the 5' UTR of BRCA2 was found to be functional whereby the A allele increased the reporter gene expression by twice that of the G allele in MCF-7 (P = 0.003) and HeLa (P = 0.013) cells. RNA secondary structure analysis by two different programs predicted the A allele to alter the stability of a loop in the vicinity of the translation start site. Its direct implication in breast cancer became evident by a case-control study in which the heterozygous genotype was found to be protective in nature (P heterozygote advantage model = 0.0005, odds ratio [OR] = 0.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4 to 0.8), which was further supported by trends observed in a genomic instability study. The p53 codon 72 Arg homozygous genotype was found to be over-represented in patients (P = 0.0005, OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.4 to 3.6). The interaction study indicated an increased protection under simultaneous presence of protector genotypes of both the polymorphic loci (P = 0.0001, OR = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.1 to 0.4). CONCLUSION: Our study shows that -26 5' UTR polymorphism in BRCA2 can modulate the fine-tuned regulation of the multifunctional gene BRCA2 and renders risk or protection according to the genotype status in the sporadic form of breast cancer, which is further influenced by the germline genetic backgrounds of codon 72 polymorphism of p53.