Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
06:07
Continuous Fluorescence-Based Endonuclease-Coupled DNA Methylation Assay to Screen for DNA Methyltransferase Inhibitors
Published on: August 5, 2022
2.9K
NSun2 promotes cell migration through methylating autotaxin mRNA.
Xin Xu1, Yihua Zhang1, Junjie Zhang2
1The Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|October 23, 2020
Summary
NSun2 RNA methyltransferase modifies autotaxin (ATX) mRNA, enhancing its translation and export. This NSun2-mediated methylation regulates cell migration in glioma cells.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- RNA Biology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- NSun2 is an RNA methyltransferase affecting RNA levels and function.
- Autotaxin (ATX) and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling are crucial for cell migration and proliferation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of NSun2 in regulating autotaxin (ATX) mRNA and its impact on cell migration.
Main Methods:
- Investigated NSun2's effect on ATX protein and mRNA levels in U87 glioma cells.
- Performed in vitro and in vivo methylation assays of ATX mRNA by NSun2.
- Analyzed the impact of NSun2-mediated methylation on ATX mRNA translation, nuclear export, and cell migration.
Main Results:
- NSun2 knockdown decreased ATX protein levels, while overexpression increased them, without altering ATX mRNA levels.
- NSun2 was found to methylate the 3'-UTR of ATX mRNA at cytosine 2756.
- This methylation enhanced ATX mRNA translation and promoted its nuclear-to-cytoplasmic export via ALYREF.
- NSun2 knockdown suppressed U87 cell migration, an effect rescued by LPA addition.
Conclusions:
- NSun2 regulates ATX protein levels and cell migration through methylation of ATX mRNA.
- NSun2-mediated methylation of ATX mRNA enhances its translation and nuclear export, impacting cell migration in glioma.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
4.1K
Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon...
4.1K
01:09Cell Migration
18.0K
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
18.0K
01:19Cell Migration
6.0K
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
6.0K
01:18Role of Myosin in Cell Migration
2.9K
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
Myosin II is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
2.9K
02:23Master Transcription Regulators
7.5K
Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
7.5K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
4.4K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.4K