Ty3 Retrotransposon Hijacks Mating Yeast RNA Processing Bodies to Infect New Genomes

PLoS Genet. 2015 Sep 30;11(9):e1005528. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005528. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Retrotransposition of the budding yeast long terminal repeat retrotransposon Ty3 is activated during mating. In this study, proteins that associate with Ty3 Gag3 capsid protein during virus-like particle (VLP) assembly were identified by mass spectrometry and screened for roles in mating-stimulated retrotransposition. Components of RNA processing bodies including DEAD box helicases Dhh1/DDX6 and Ded1/DDX3, Sm-like protein Lsm1, decapping protein Dcp2, and 5' to 3' exonuclease Xrn1 were among the proteins identified. These proteins associated with Ty3 proteins and RNA, and were required for formation of Ty3 VLP retrosome assembly factories and for retrotransposition. Specifically, Dhh1/DDX6 was required for normal levels of Ty3 genomic RNA, and Lsm1 and Xrn1 were required for association of Ty3 protein and RNA into retrosomes. This role for components of RNA processing bodies in promoting VLP assembly and retrotransposition during mating in a yeast that lacks RNA interference, contrasts with roles proposed for orthologous components in animal germ cell ribonucleoprotein granules in turnover and epigenetic suppression of retrotransposon RNAs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / genetics
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases / metabolism
  • Exoribonucleases / genetics
  • Exoribonucleases / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Genome, Fungal*
  • RNA / genetics*
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / genetics
  • Retroelements / genetics*
  • Ribonucleoproteins / genetics*
  • Ribonucleoproteins / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Terminal Repeat Sequences / genetics

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • LSM1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • MDV1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • RNA Cap-Binding Proteins
  • Retroelements
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • RNA
  • RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
  • Exoribonucleases
  • XRN1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • DHH1 protein, S cerevisiae
  • DEAD-box RNA Helicases