TY - JOUR A1 - Liaqat, Anam A1 - Sednev, Maksim V. A1 - Stiller, Carina A1 - Höbartner, Claudia T1 - RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes differentiate methylated cytidine isomers in RNA JF - Angewandte Chemie International Edition N2 - Deoxyribozymes are emerging as modification-specific endonucleases for the analysis of epigenetic RNA modifications. Here, we report RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes that differentially respond to the presence of natural methylated cytidines, 3-methylcytidine (m\(^3\)C), N\(^4\)-methylcytidine (m\(^4\)C), and 5-methylcytidine (m\(^5\)C), respectively. Using in vitro selection, we found several DNA catalysts, which are selectively activated by only one of the three cytidine isomers, and display 10- to 30-fold accelerated cleavage of their target m\(^3\)C-, m\(^4\)C- or m\(^5\)C-modified RNA. An additional deoxyribozyme is strongly inhibited by any of the three methylcytidines, but effectively cleaves unmodified RNA. The mXC-detecting deoxyribozymes are programmable for the interrogation of natural RNAs of interest, as demonstrated for human mitochondrial tRNAs containing known m\(^3\)C and m\(^5\)C sites. The results underline the potential of synthetic functional DNA to shape highly selective active sites. KW - organic chemistry KW - site-specific RNA cleavage KW - deoxyribozymes KW - epitranscriptomics KW - in vitro selection KW - RNA modification Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-256519 VL - 60 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kleiber, Nicole A1 - Lemus-Diaz, Nicolas A1 - Stiller, Carina A1 - Heinrichs, Marleen A1 - Mong-Quyen Mai, Mandy A1 - Hackert, Philipp A1 - Richter-Dennerlein, Ricarda A1 - Höbartner, Claudia A1 - Bohnsack, Katherine E. A1 - Bohnsack, Markus T. T1 - The RNA methyltransferase METTL8 installs m\(^3\)C\(_{32}\) in mitochondrial tRNAs\(^{Thr/Ser(UCN)}\) to optimise tRNA structure and mitochondrial translation JF - Nature Communication N2 - Modified nucleotides in tRNAs are important determinants of folding, structure and function. Here we identify METTL8 as a mitochondrial matrix protein and active RNA methyltransferase responsible for installing m\(^3\)C\(_{32}\) in the human mitochondrial (mt-)tRNA\(^{Thr}\) and mt-tRNA\(^{Ser(UCN)}\). METTL8 crosslinks to the anticodon stem loop (ASL) of many mt-tRNAs in cells, raising the question of how methylation target specificity is achieved. Dissection of mttRNA recognition elements revealed U\(_{34}\)G\(_{35}\) and t\(^6\)A\(_{37}\)/(ms\(^2\))i\(^6\)A\(_{37}\), present concomitantly only in the ASLs of the two substrate mt-tRNAs, as key determinants for METTL8-mediated methylation of C\(_{32}\). Several lines of evidence demonstrate the influence of U\(_{34}\), G\(_{35}\), and the m\(^3\)C\(_{32}\) and t\(^6\)A\(_{37}\)/(ms\(^2\))i\(^6\)A\(_{37}\) modifications in mt-tRNA\(^{Thr/Ser(UCN)}\) on the structure of these mt-tRNAs. Although mt-tRNA\(^{Thr/Ser(UCN)}\) lacking METTL8-mediated m\(^3\)C\(_{32}\) are efficiently aminoacylated and associate with mitochondrial ribosomes, mitochondrial translation is mildly impaired by lack of METTL8. Together these results define the cellular targets of METTL8 and shed new light on the role of m\(^3\)C\(_{32}\) within mt-tRNAs. KW - Modified Nucleotides in tRNAs KW - METTL8 KW - Mitochondrial Matrix Protein KW - RNA Methyltransferase KW - RNA KW - Enzymes KW - Organelles Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254592 VL - 13 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kabinger, Florian A1 - Stiller, Carina A1 - Schmitzová, Jana A1 - Dienemann, Christian A1 - Kokic, Goran A1 - Hillen, Hauke S. A1 - Höbartner, Claudia A1 - Cramer, Patrick T1 - Mechanism of molnupiravir-induced SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis JF - Nature Structural & Molecular Biology N2 - Molnupiravir is an orally available antiviral drug candidate currently in phase III trials for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Molnupiravir increases the frequency of viral RNA mutations and impairs SARS-CoV-2 replication in animal models and in humans. Here, we establish the molecular mechanisms underlying molnupiravir-induced RNA mutagenesis by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Biochemical assays show that the RdRp uses the active form of molnupiravir, β-d-\(N^4\)-hydroxycytidine (NHC) triphosphate, as a substrate instead of cytidine triphosphate or uridine triphosphate. When the RdRp uses the resulting RNA as a template, NHC directs incorporation of either G or A, leading to mutated RNA products. Structural analysis of RdRp–RNA complexes that contain mutagenesis products shows that NHC can form stable base pairs with either G or A in the RdRp active center, explaining how the polymerase escapes proofreading and synthesizes mutated RNA. This two-step mutagenesis mechanism probably applies to various viral polymerases and can explain the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of molnupiravir. KW - Molnupiravir KW - RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase KW - SARS-CoV2 Replication Impairment KW - Molnupiravir-Induced RNA Mutagenesis Mechanism KW - Cryoelectron Microscopy Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254603 VL - 28 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liaqat, Anam A1 - Sednev, Maksim V. A1 - Stiller, Carina A1 - Höbartner, Claudia T1 - RNA-Cleaving Deoxyribozymes Differentiate Methylated Cytidine Isomers in RNA JF - Angewandte Chemie International Edition N2 - Deoxyribozymes are emerging as modification-specific endonucleases for the analysis of epigenetic RNA modifications. Here, we report RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes that differentially respond to the presence of natural methylated cytidines, 3-methylcytidine (m\(^3\)C), N\(^4\)-methylcytidine (m\(^4\)C), and 5-methylcytidine (m\(^5\)C), respectively. Using in vitro selection, we found several DNA catalysts, which are selectively activated by only one of the three cytidine isomers, and display 10- to 30-fold accelerated cleavage of their target m\(^3\)C-, m\(^4\)C- or m\(^5\)C-modified RNA. An additional deoxyribozyme is strongly inhibited by any of the three methylcytidines, but effectively cleaves unmodified RNA. The m\(^X\)C-detecting deoxyribozymes are programmable for the interrogation of natural RNAs of interest, as demonstrated for human mitochondrial tRNAs containing known m\(^3\)C and m\(^5\)C sites. The results underline the potential of synthetic functional DNA to shape highly selective active sites. KW - Deoxyribozymes KW - Epitranscriptomics KW - RNA Modification KW - Site-Specific RNA Cleavage KW - in vitro Selection Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254544 VL - 60 IS - 35 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liaqat, Anam A1 - Stiller, Carina A1 - Michel, Manuela A1 - Sednev, Maksim V. A1 - Höbartner, Claudia T1 - N\(^6\)-Isopentenyladenosine in RNA Determines the Cleavage Site of Endonuclease Deoxyribozymes JF - Angewandte Chemie International Edition N2 - RNA-cleaving deoxyribozymes can serve as selective sensors and catalysts to examine the modification state of RNA. However, site-specific endonuclease deoxyribozymes that selectively cleave posttranscriptionally modified RNA are extremely rare and their specificity over unmodified RNA is low. In this study, we report that the native tRNA modification N\(^6\)-isopentenyladenosine (i\(^6\)A) strongly enhances the specificity and has the power to reconfigure the active site of an RNA-cleaving deoxyribozyme. Using in vitro selection, we identified a DNA enzyme that cleaves i\(^6\)A-modified RNA at least 2500-fold faster than unmodified RNA. Another deoxyribozyme shows unique and unprecedented behaviour by shifting its cleavage site in the presence of the i\(^6\)A RNA modification. Together with deoxyribozymes that are strongly inhibited by i\(^6\)A, these results highlight intricate ways of modulating the catalytic activity of DNA by posttranscriptional RNA modifications. KW - Deoxyribozymes KW - Epitranscriptomics KW - in vitro selection KW - RNA modification KW - site-specific RNA cleavage Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212121 ET - Early View ER -