Staufen1 regulates a variety of mammalian transcripts

It is currently unknown how extensively the double-stranded RNA binding protein Staufen (Stau)1 is utilized by mammalian cells to regulate gene expression. To date, Stau1 binding to the 3 untranslated region (3UTR) of ARF1 mRNA has been shown to target ARF1 mRNA for Stau1-mediated mRNA decay (SMD). ARF1 SMD depends on translation and recruitment of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor Upf1 to the ARF1 3UTR by Stau1. Here, we use microarray analyses to examine changes in the abundance of cellular mRNAs that occur when Stau1 is depleted. Results indicate that 1.1% and 1.0% of the 11,569 HeLa-cell transcripts that were analyzed are, respectively, upregulated and downregulated at least two-fold in three independently performed experiments. Additionally, we localize the Stau1 binding site to the 3UTR of four mRNAs that we define as natural SMD targets. Together, these and substantiating results suggest that Stau1 influences the expression of a wide variety of physiologic transcripts and metabolic pathways.

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Kim YK, Furic L, Parisien M, Major F, DesGroseillers L, Maquat LE