Loss of function of ribosomal protein L13a blocks blastocyst formation and reveals a potential nuclear role in gene expression.

Ribosomal proteins play diverse roles in development and disease. Most ribosomal proteins have canonical roles in protein synthesis, while some exhibit extra-ribosomal functions. Previous studies in our laboratory revealed that ribosomal protein L13a (RPL13a) is involved in the translational silencing of a cohort of inflammatory proteins in myeloid cells. This prompted us to investigate the role of RPL13a in embryonic development. Here we report that RPL13a is required for early development in mice. Crosses between Rpl13a+/- mice resulted in no Rpl13a-/- offspring. Closer examination revealed that Rpl13a-/- embryos were arrested at the morula stage during preimplantation development. RNA sequencing analysis of Rpl13a-/- morulae revealed widespread alterations in gene expression, including but not limited to several genes encoding proteins involved in the inflammatory response, embryogenesis, oocyte maturation, stemness, and pluripotency. Ex vivo analysis revealed that RPL13a was localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus between the two-cell and morula stages. RNAi-mediated depletion of RPL13a phenocopied Rpl13a-/- embryos and knockdown embryos exhibited increased expression of IL-7 and IL-17 and decreased expression of the lineage specifier genes Sox2, Pou5f1, and Cdx2. Lastly, a protein-protein interaction assay revealed that RPL13a is associated with chromatin, suggesting an extra ribosomal function in transcription. In summary, our data demonstrate that RPL13a is essential for the completion of preimplantation embryo development. The mechanistic basis of the absence of RPL13a-mediated embryonic lethality will be addressed in the future through follow-up studies on ribosome biogenesis, global protein synthesis, and identification of RPL13a target genes using chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA-immunoprecipitation-based sequencing.

Potential Substitutes for Replacement of Lead in Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review.

Lead halide perovskites have displayed the highest solar power conversion efficiencies of 23% but the toxicity issues of these materials need to be addressed. Lead-free perovskites have emerged as viable candidates for potential use as light harvesters to ensure clean and green photovoltaic technology. The substitution of lead by Sn, Ge, Bi, Sb, Cu and other potential candidates have reported efficiencies of up to 9%, but there is still a dire need to enhance their efficiencies and stability within the air. A comprehensive review is given on potential substitutes for lead-free perovskites and their characteristic features like energy bandgaps and optical absorption as well as photovoltaic parameters like open-circuit voltage (V OC), fill factor, short-circuit current density (J  SC), and the device architecture for their efficient use. Lead-free perovskites do possess a suitable bandgap but have low efficiency. The use of additives has a significant effect on their efficiency and stability. The incorporation of cations like diethylammonium, phenylethyl ammonium, phenylethyl ammonium iodide, etc., or mixed cations at different compositions at the A-site is reported with engineered bandgaps having significant efficiency and stability. Recent work on the advancement of lead-free perovskites is also reviewed.

Mutually exclusive amino acid residues of L13a are responsible for its ribosomal incorporation and translational silencing leading to resolution of inflammation.

Eukaryotic ribosomal protein L13a is a member of the conserved universal ribosomal uL13 protein family. Structurally, L13a is distinguished from its prokaryotic counterparts by the presence of an ∼55 amino acid-long carboxy-terminal α-helical extension. The importance of these evolved residues in the carboxy-terminal extension for mammalian ribosome biogenesis as well as L13a's extraribosomal function in GAIT (γ interferon-activated inhibitor of translation) complex-mediated translation silencing during inflammation is not understood. Here, we present biochemical analyses of L13a mutant variants identifying several mutually exclusive amino acid residues in the eukaryote-specific carboxy-terminal extension of human L13a (Tyr149-Val203) important for ribosomal incorporation and translational silencing. Specifically, we show that mutation of Arg169, Lys170, and Lys171 to Ala abrogate GAIT-mediated translational silencing, but not L13a incorporation into ribosomes. Moreover, we show that the carboxy-terminal helix alone can silence translation of GAIT element-containing mRNAs in vitro. We also show through cellular immunofluorescence experiments that nuclear but not nucleolar localization of L13a is resistant to extensive amino acid alterations, suggesting that multiple complex nuclear import signals are present within this protein. These studies provide new insights into L13a structure and its ribosomal and extraribosomal functions in model human cells.

Extraribosomal l13a is a specific innate immune factor for antiviral defense.

UNLABELLED: We report a novel extraribosomal innate immune function of mammalian ribosomal protein L13a, whereby it acts as an antiviral agent. We found that L13a is released from the 60S ribosomal subunit in response to infection by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an RNA virus of the Pneumovirus genus and a serious lung pathogen. Unexpectedly, the growth of RSV was highly enhanced in L13a-knocked-down cells of various lineages as well as in L13a knockout macrophages from mice. In all L13a-deficient cells tested, translation of RSV matrix (M) protein was specifically stimulated, as judged by a greater abundance of M protein and greater association of the M mRNA with polyribosomes, while general translation was unaffected. In silico RNA folding analysis and translational reporter assays revealed a putative hairpin in the 3'untranslated region (UTR) of M mRNA with significant structural similarity to the cellular GAIT (gamma-activated inhibitor of translation) RNA hairpin, previously shown to be responsible for assembling a large, L13a-containing ribonucleoprotein complex that promoted translational silencing in gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-activated myeloid cells. However, RNA-protein interaction studies revealed that this complex, which we named VAIT (respiratory syncytial virus-activated inhibitor of translation) is functionally different from the GAIT complex. VAIT is the first report of an extraribosomal L13a-mediated, IFN-γ-independent innate antiviral complex triggered in response to virus infection. We provide a model in which the VAIT complex strongly hinders RSV replication by inhibiting the translation of the rate-limiting viral M protein, which is a new paradigm in antiviral defense. IMPORTANCE: The innate immune mechanisms of host cells are diverse in nature and act as a broad-spectrum cellular defense against viruses. Here, we report a novel innate immune mechanism functioning against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), in which the cellular ribosomal protein L13a is released from the large ribosomal subunit soon after infection and inhibits the translation of a specific viral mRNA, namely, that of the matrix protein M. Regarding its mechanism, we show that the recognition of a specific secondary structure in the 3' untranslated region of the M mRNA leads to translational arrest of the mRNA. We also show that the level of M protein in the infected cell is rate limiting for viral morphogenesis, providing a rationale for L13a to target the M mRNA for suppression of RSV growth. Translational silencing of a viral mRNA by a deployed ribosomal protein is a new paradigm in innate immunity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 6, 7-dimethoxy-3-(4-pyridyl)-2,3,3a,4-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazol-2-yl-4-substituted phenylmethanone/ethanone derivatives.

A series of 6,7-dimethoxy-3-(4-pyridyl)-2,3,3a,4-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazol-2-yl-4-substituted phenylmethanone/ethanone derivatives were synthesized and in vitro activity against mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and INHR-MTB were carried out. Among the synthesized compounds, compound (4h) 6,7-dimethoxy-3-(4-pyridyl)-2,3,3a,4-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazol-2-yl-4-pyridyl methanone was found to be the most active agent against MTB and INHR-MTB with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.22 µM.