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Updated: Aug 18, 2025
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Application of RNAi and Heat-shock-induced Transcription Factor Expression to Reprogram Germ Cells to Neurons in C. elegans
Published on: January 1, 2018
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RNA degradation eliminates developmental transcripts during murine embryonic stem cell differentiation via
Juliane O Viegas1, Gajendra Kumar Azad2, Yuan Lv3
1Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
Developmental Cell
|December 10, 2022
Summary
Cell-cycle-associated protein 1 (CAPRIN1) regulates embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation by degrading thousands of RNA transcripts. This pathway eliminates spurious transcripts during early ESC differentiation.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Molecular and cell biology
- RNA biology
Background:
- Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) possess self-renewal and pluripotency.
- Nuclear factors regulating pluripotency are well-identified.
- Non-nuclear regulators of ESCs remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify non-nuclear regulators of mouse ESCs.
- To investigate the role of cell-cycle-associated protein 1 (CAPRIN1) in ESCs.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which CAPRIN1 influences ESC differentiation and gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Screening of an endogenously labeled fluorescent fusion-protein library in mouse ESCs.
- RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and sequencing of RNA isolated by crosslinking immunoprecipitation (SLAM-seq).
- CAPRIN1 interactome analysis to identify associated proteins.
Main Results:
- CAPRIN1 was identified as a non-nuclear regulator in mouse ESCs.
- CAPRIN1 knockout altered ESC differentiation and gene expression programs.
- CAPRIN1 associates with and promotes the degradation of thousands of RNA transcripts.
- XRN2 was identified as the ribonuclease involved in CAPRIN1-mediated RNA degradation.
- XRN2 localizes to the nucleus and colocalizes with CAPRIN1 in small RNA granules during early ESC differentiation in a CAPRIN1-dependent manner.
Conclusions:
- CAPRIN1 regulates an RNA degradation pathway during early ESC differentiation.
- This pathway eliminates spuriously transcribed transcripts in ESCs.
- CAPRIN1 plays a crucial role in maintaining ESC identity and controlling differentiation through RNA metabolism.
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