A novel long non-coding RNA from NBL2 pericentromeric macrosatellite forms a perinucleolar aggregate structure in colon cancer

Nucleic Acids Res. 2018 Jun 20;46(11):5504-5524. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky263.

Abstract

Primate-specific NBL2 macrosatellite is hypomethylated in several types of tumors, yet the consequences of this DNA hypomethylation remain unknown. We show that NBL2 conserved repeats are close to the centromeres of most acrocentric chromosomes. NBL2 associates with the perinucleolar region and undergoes severe demethylation in a subset of colorectal cancer (CRC). Upon DNA hypomethylation and histone acetylation, NBL2 repeats are transcribed in tumor cell lines and primary CRCs. NBL2 monomers exhibit promoter activity, and are contained within novel, non-polyA antisense lncRNAs, which we designated TNBL (Tumor-associated NBL2 transcript). TNBL is stable throughout the mitotic cycle, and in interphase nuclei preferentially forms a perinucleolar aggregate in the proximity of a subset of NBL2 loci. TNBL aggregates interact with the SAM68 perinucleolar body in a mirror-image cancer specific perinucleolar structure. TNBL binds with high affinity to several proteins involved in nuclear functions and RNA metabolism, such as CELF1 and NPM1. Our data unveil novel DNA and RNA structural features of a non-coding macrosatellite frequently altered in cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • CELF1 Protein / metabolism
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Colonic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation / genetics*
  • DNA, Satellite / genetics*
  • Female
  • HCT116 Cells
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mitosis / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Nucleophosmin
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*

Substances

  • CELF1 Protein
  • CELF1 protein, human
  • DNA, Satellite
  • Histones
  • NPM1 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • Nucleophosmin