β-Catenin recognizes a specific RNA motif in the cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA 3'-UTR and interacts with HuR in colon cancer cells.

RNA-binding proteins regulate multiple steps of RNA metabolism through both dynamic and combined binding. In addition to its crucial roles in cell adhesion and Wnt-activated transcription in cancer cells, β-catenin regulates RNA alternative splicing and stability possibly by binding to target RNA in cells. An RNA aptamer was selected for ...
specific binding to β-catenin to address RNA recognition by β-catenin more specifically. Here, we characterized the structural properties of the RNA aptamer as a model and identified a β-catenin RNA motif. Similar RNA motif was found in cellular RNA, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). More significantly, the C-terminal domain of β-catenin interacted with HuR and the Armadillo repeat domain associated with RNA to form the RNA-β-catenin-HuR complex in vitro and in cells. Furthermore, the tertiary RNA-protein complex was predominantly found in the cytoplasm of colon cancer cells; thus, it might be related to COX-2 protein level and cancer progression. Taken together, the β-catenin RNA aptamer was valuable for deducing the cellular RNA aptamer and identifying novel and oncogenic RNA-protein networks in colon cancer cells.
Mesh Terms:
3' Untranslated Regions, Aptamers, Nucleotide, Binding Sites, Cell Line, Tumor, Colonic Neoplasms, Cyclooxygenase 2, HEK293 Cells, Hu Paraneoplastic Encephalomyelitis Antigens, Humans, Nucleotide Motifs, Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs, RNA, Messenger, RNA-Binding Proteins, beta Catenin
Nucleic Acids Res.
Date: Aug. 01, 2012
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