Single amino-acid mutation in a Drosoph ila melanogaster ribosomal protein: An insight in uL11 transcriptional activity

The ribosomal protein uL11 is located at the basis of the ribosome P-stalk and plays a paramount role in translational efficiency. In addition, no mutant for uL11 is available suggesting that this gene is haplo-insufficient as many other Ribosomal Protein Genes (RPGs). We have previously shown that overexpression of Drosophila melanogaster uL11 enhances the transcription of many RPGs and Ribosomal Biogenesis genes (RiBis) suggesting that uL11 might globally regulate the level of translation through its transcriptional activity. Moreover, uL11 trimethylated on lysine 3 (uL11K3me3) interacts with the chromodomain of the Enhancer of Polycomb and Trithorax Corto, and both proteins co-localize with RNA Polymerase II at many sites on polytene chromosomes. These data have led to the hypothesis that the N-terminal end of uL11, and more particularly the trimethylation of lysine 3, supports the extra-ribosomal activity of uL11 in transcription. To address this question, we mutated the lysine 3 codon using a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy and obtained several lysine 3 mutants. We describe here the first mutants of D. melanogaster uL11. Unexpectedly, the uL11(K3A) mutant, in which the lysine 3 codon is replaced by an alanine, displays a genuine Minute phenotype known to be characteristic of RPG deletions (longer development, low fertility, high lethality, thin and short bristles) whereas the uL11(K3Y) mutant, in which the lysine 3 codon is replaced by a tyrosine, is unaffected. In agreement, the rate of translation decreases in uL11(K3A) but not in uL11(K3Y). CO-irn munoprecipitation experiments show that the interaction between uL11 and the Corto chromodomain is impaired by both mutations. However, Histone Association Assays indicate that the mutant proteins still bind chromatin. RNA-seq analyses from wing imaginal discs show that Corto represses RPG expression whereas very few genes are deregulated in uL11 mutants. We propose that Corto, by repressing RPG expression, ensures that all ribosomal proteins are present at the correct stoichiometry, and that uL11 fine-tunes its transcriptional regulation of RPGs.

Automated summary

The ribosomal protein uL11 plays a crucial role in translational efficiency, and its transcriptional regulation is potentially modulated through the modification of lysine 3 in its N-terminal end. Mutation studies highlight the importance of lysine 3 modification in both the function and transcriptional regulation of uL11.