Circular intronic RNAs(ci RNAs) escaping from DBR1 debranching of intron lariats are co-transcriptionally produced from prem RNA splicing, but their turnover and mechanism of action have remained elusive. We report th...Circular intronic RNAs(ci RNAs) escaping from DBR1 debranching of intron lariats are co-transcriptionally produced from prem RNA splicing, but their turnover and mechanism of action have remained elusive. We report that RNase H1 degrades a subgroup of ci RNAs in human cells. Many ci RNAs contain high GC% and tend to form DNA:RNA hybrids(R-loops) for RNase H1 cleavage, a process that appears to promote Pol II transcriptional elongation at ci RNA-producing loci. One ci RNA, ciankrd52, shows a stronger ability of R-loop formation than that of its cognate pre-m RNA by maintaining a locally open RNA structure in vitro. This allows the release of pre-m RNA from R-loops by ci-ankrd52 replacement and subsequent ci RNA removal via RNase H1 for efficient transcriptional elongation. We propose that such an R-loop dependent ci RNA degradation likely represents a mechanism that on one hand limits ci RNA accumulation by recruiting RNase H1 and on the other hand resolves Rloops for transcriptional elongation at some GC-rich ci RNA-producing loci.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(91940303,31725009)the HHMI International Program(55008728)to L.-L.C.+2 种基金NSFC(31730111,31925011)to L.Y.Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program(2020QNRC001)to X.L.L.-L.C.the support from the XPLORER PRIZE.
文摘Circular intronic RNAs(ci RNAs) escaping from DBR1 debranching of intron lariats are co-transcriptionally produced from prem RNA splicing, but their turnover and mechanism of action have remained elusive. We report that RNase H1 degrades a subgroup of ci RNAs in human cells. Many ci RNAs contain high GC% and tend to form DNA:RNA hybrids(R-loops) for RNase H1 cleavage, a process that appears to promote Pol II transcriptional elongation at ci RNA-producing loci. One ci RNA, ciankrd52, shows a stronger ability of R-loop formation than that of its cognate pre-m RNA by maintaining a locally open RNA structure in vitro. This allows the release of pre-m RNA from R-loops by ci-ankrd52 replacement and subsequent ci RNA removal via RNase H1 for efficient transcriptional elongation. We propose that such an R-loop dependent ci RNA degradation likely represents a mechanism that on one hand limits ci RNA accumulation by recruiting RNase H1 and on the other hand resolves Rloops for transcriptional elongation at some GC-rich ci RNA-producing loci.