Poster abstracts
Poster number 49 submitted by Emily Erdmann
ADR-2 regulates the germline transcriptome and affects fertility and oocyte fate
Emily A. Erdmann (Biology Department, Indiana University), Melanie Forbes (Biology Department, Indiana University ), Margaret Becker (Medical Sciences Department, Indiana University School of Medicine), Sarina Perez (Biology Department, Indiana University), Heather A. Hundley (Biology Department, Indiana University)
Abstract:
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play essential roles in coordinating proper gene expression and development in all organisms. Adenosine DeAminases that act on RNA (ADARs) are a class of RBPs that regulate cellular processes at the RNA level by binding to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and catalyzing the deamination of Adenosine to Inosine, known as A-to-I RNA editing. Previous work from our lab has shown that ADR-2, the sole A-to-I editing enzyme in Caenorhabditis elegans, can target unique RNAs and produce unique cellular outcomes in different life stages, tissues, and environmental conditions. However, the molecular factors influencing ADR-2 function in these different environments are largely unknown. Using a high-throughput reverse genetics screen, we recently identified a molecular interaction between ADR-2 and SQD-1, a member of the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) family of RNA binding proteins. Using microscopy, reproductive assays, and transcriptomic analysis, we uncovered that SQD-1 and ADR-2 act in the same pathway to regulate fertility and oogenesis in C. elegans. As ADARs have primarily been studied in neural tissues, this discovery has prompted investigation into the roles of ADR-2 in regulating the germline transcriptome. High-throughput RNA sequencing analysis of isolated germline tissue has revealed extensive A-to-I editing of germline transcripts (unpublished). Ongoing investigations are aimed at understanding the molecular and biological consequences of germline RNA editing.
Keywords: ADAR, germline, RNA editing