Polyamines regulate the stability of JunD mRNA by modulating the competitive binding of its 3' untranslated region to HuR and AUF1

Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Nov;30(21):5021-32. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00807-10. Epub 2010 Aug 30.

Abstract

Polyamines critically regulate all mammalian cell growth and proliferation by mechanisms such as the repression of growth-inhibitory proteins, including JunD. Decreasing the levels of cellular polyamines stabilizes JunD mRNA without affecting its transcription, but the exact mechanism whereby polyamines regulate JunD mRNA degradation has not been elucidated. RNA-binding proteins HuR and AUF1 associate with labile mRNAs bearing AU-rich elements located in the 3' untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) and modulate their stability. Here, we show that JunD mRNA is a target of HuR and AUF1 and that polyamines modulate JunD mRNA degradation by altering the competitive binding of HuR and AUF1 to the JunD 3'-UTR. The depletion of cellular polyamines enhanced HuR binding to JunD mRNA and decreased the levels of JunD transcript associated with AUF1, thus stabilizing JunD mRNA. The silencing of HuR increased AUF1 binding to the JunD mRNA, decreased the abundance of HuR-JunD mRNA complexes, rendered the JunD mRNA unstable, and prevented increases in JunD mRNA and protein in polyamine-deficient cells. Conversely, increasing the cellular polyamines repressed JunD mRNA interaction with HuR and enhanced its association with AUF1, resulting in an inhibition of JunD expression. These results indicate that polyamines modulate the stability of JunD mRNA in intestinal epithelial cells through HuR and AUF1 and provide new insight into the molecular functions of cellular polyamines.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface / genetics
  • Antigens, Surface / metabolism*
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • Binding, Competitive
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Line
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • ELAV Proteins
  • ELAV-Like Protein 1
  • Genes, jun*
  • Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D0
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D / genetics
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polyamines / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA Stability*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Rats
  • Sequence Deletion

Substances

  • 3' Untranslated Regions
  • Antigens, Surface
  • DNA Primers
  • ELAV Proteins
  • ELAV-Like Protein 1
  • ELAVL1 protein, human
  • HNRNPD protein, human
  • Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D0
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein D
  • Hnrnpd protein, rat
  • Polyamines
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • RNA-Binding Proteins