Lehrstuhl für Biochemie
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- CIBSS Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg (1)
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- MRB Forschungszentrum für Magnet-Resonanz-Bayern e.V., Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg (1)
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum DFG-Forschungszentrum für Experimentelle Biomedizin der Universität Würzburg (1)
The eukaryotic gene expression requires extensive regulations to enable the homeostasis of the cell and to allow dynamic responses due to external stimuli. Although many regulatory mechanisms involve the transcription as the first step of the gene expression, intensive regulation occurs also in the post-transcriptional mRNA metabolism. Thereby, the particular composition of the mRNPs plays a central role as the components associated with the mRNA form a specific “mRNP code” which determines the fate of the mRNA. Many proteins which are involved in this regulation and the mRNA metabolism are affected in diseases and especially neurological disorders often result from an aberrant mRNP code which leads to changes in the regulation and expression of mRNPs.
The focus of this work was on a trimeric protein complex which is termed TTF complex based on its subunits TDRD3, TOP3β and FMRP. Biochemical investigations revealed that the three components of the TTF complex are nucleo-cytosolic shuttle proteins which localize in the cytoplasm at the steady-state, associate with mRNPs and are presumably connected to the translation. Upon cellular stress conditions, the TTF components concentrate in stress granules. Thus, the TTF complex is part of the mRNP code, however its target RNAs and function are still completely unknown. Since the loss of functional FMRP results in the fragile X syndrome and TOP3β is associated with schizophrenia and intellectual disability, the TTF complex connects these phenotypically related neuro-psychiatric disorders with each other on a molecular level.
Therefore, the aim of this work was to biochemically characterize the TTF complex and to define its function in the mRNA metabolism. In this work, evidence was provided that TDRD3 acts as the central unit of the TTF complex and directly binds to FMRP as well as to TOP3β. Thereby, the interaction of TDRD3 and TOP3β is very stable, whereas FMRP is a dynamic component. Interestingly, the TTF complex is not bound directly to mRNA, but is recruited via the exon junction complex (EJC) to mRNPs. This interaction is mediated by a specific binding motif of TDRD3, the EBM. Upon biochemical and biological investigations, it was possible to identify the interactome of the TTF complex and to define the role in the mRNA metabolism. The data revealed that the TTF complex is mainly associated with “early” mRNPs and is probably involved in the pioneer round of translation. Furthermore, TOP3β was found to bind directly to the ribosome and thus, establishes a connection between the EJC and the translation machinery. A reduction of the TTF components resulted in selective changes in the proteome in cultured cells, whereby individual protein subsets seem to be regulated rather than the global protein expression.
Moreover, the enzymatic analysis of TOP3β indicated that TOP3β is a type IA topoisomerase which can catalytically attack not only DNA but also RNA. This aspect is particularly interesting with regard to the connection between early mRNPs and the translation which has been revealed in this work.
The data obtained in this work suggest that the TTF complex plays a role in regulating the metabolism of an early mRNP subset possibly in the course of the pioneer round of translation. Until now, the link between an RNA topoisomerase and the mRNA metabolism is thereby unique and thus provides a completely new perspective on the steps in the post-transcriptional gene expression and its regulation.
The conserved, ubiquitin-selective AAA ATPase Cdc48 regulates numerous cellular processes including protein quality control, DNA repair and the cell cycle. Cdc48 function is tightly controlled by a multitude of cofactors mediating substrate specificity and processing. The UBX domain protein Shp1 is a bona fide substrate-recruiting cofactor of Cdc48 in the budding yeast S. cerevisiae. Even though Shp1 has been proposed to be a positive regulator of Glc7, the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1 in S. cerevisiae, its cellular functions in complex with Cdc48 remain largely unknown. Here we show that deletion of the SHP1 gene results in severe growth defects and a cell cycle delay at the metaphase to anaphase transition caused by reduced Glc7 activity. Using an engineered Cdc48 binding-deficient variant of Shp1, we establish the Cdc48Shp1 complex as a critical regulator of mitotic Glc7 activity. We demonstrate that shp1 mutants possess a perturbed balance of Glc7 phosphatase and Ipl1 (Aurora B) kinase activities and show that hyper-phosphorylation of the kinetochore protein Dam1, a key mitotic substrate of Glc7 and Ipl1, is a critical defect in shp1. We also show for the first time a physical interaction between Glc7 and Shp1 in vivo. Whereas loss of Shp1 does not significantly affect Glc7 protein levels or localization, it causes reduced binding of the activator protein Glc8 to Glc7. Our data suggest that the Cdc48Shp1 complex controls Glc7 activity by regulating its interaction with Glc8 and possibly further regulatory subunits.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents the most aggressive form of malignant brain tumors and remains a therapeutically challenge. Intense research in the field has lead to the testing of oncolytic viruses to improve tumor control. Currently, a variety of different oncolytic viruses are being evaluated for their ability to be used in anti-cancer therapy and a few have entered clinical trials. Vaccinia virus, is one of the viruses being studied. GLV-1h68, an oncolytic vaccinia virus engineered by Genelux Corporation, was constructed by insertion of three gene cassettes, RUC-GFP fusion, β-galactosidase and β- glucuronidase into the genome of the LIVP strain. Since focal tumor radiotherapy is a mainstay for cancer treatment, including glioma therapy, it is of clinical relevance to assess how systemically administered oncolytic vaccinia virus could be combined with targeted ionizing radiation for therapeutic gain. In this work we show how focal ionizing radiation (IR) can be combined with multiple systemically delivered oncolytic vaccinia virus strains in murine models of human U-87 glioma. After initial experiments which confirmed that ionizing radiation does not damage viral DNA or alter viral tropism, animal studies were carried out to analyze the interaction of vaccinia virus and ionizing radiation in the in vivo setting. We found that irradiation of the tumor target, prior to systemic administration of oncolytic vaccinia virus GLV-1h68, increased viral replication within the U-87 xenografts as measured by viral reporter gene expression and viral titers. Importantly, while GLV-1h68 alone had minimal effect on U-87 tumor growth delay, IR enhanced GLV-1h68 replication, which translated to increased tumor growth delay and mouse survival in subcutaneous and orthotopic U-87 glioma murine models compared to monotherapy with IR or GLV-1h68. The ability of IR to enhance vaccinia replication was not restricted to the multi-mutated GLV-1h68, but was also seen with the less attenuated oncolytic vaccinia, LIVP 1.1.1. We have demonstrated that in animals treated with combination of ionizing radiation and LIVP 1.1.1 a strong pro-inflammatory tissue response was induced. When IR was given in a more clinically relevant fractionated scheme, we found oncolytic vaccinia virus replication also increased. This indicates that vaccinia virus could be incorporated into either larger hypo-fraction or more conventionally fractionated radiotherapy schemes. The ability of focal IR to mediate selective replication of systemically injected oncolytic vaccinia was demonstrated in a bilateral glioma model. In mice with bilateral U-87 tumors in both hindlimbs, systemically administered oncolytic vaccinia replicated preferentially in the focally irradiated tumor compared to the shielded non- irradiated tumor in the same mouse We demonstrated that tumor control could be further improved when fractionated focal ionizing radiation was combined with a vaccinia virus caring an anti-angiogenic payload targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Our studies showed that following ionizing radiation expression of VEGF is upregulated in U-87 glioma cells in culture. We further showed a concentration dependent increase in radioresistance of human endothelial cells in presence of VEGF. Interestingly, we found effects of vascular endothelial growth factor on endothelial cells were reversible by adding purified GLAF-1 to the cells. GLAF-1 is a single- chain antibody targeting human and murine VEGF and is expressed by oncolytic vaccinia virus GLV-109. In U-87 glioma xenograft murine models the combination of fractionated ionizing radiation with GLV-1h164, a vaccinia virus also targeting VEGF, resulted in the best volumetric tumor response and a drastic decrease in vascular endothelial growth factor. Histological analysis of embedded tumor sections 14 days after viral administration confirmed that blocking VEGF translated into a decrease in vessel number to 30% of vessel number found in control tumors in animals treated with GLV-164 and fractionated IR which was lower than for all other treatment groups. Our experiments with GLV-1h164 and fractionated radiotherapy have shown that in addition to ionizing radiation and viral induced tumor cell destruction we were able to effectively target the tumor vasculature. This was achieved by enhanced viral replication translating in increased levels of GLAF-2 disrupting tumor vessels as well as the radiosensitization of tumor vasculature to IR by blocking VEGF. Our preclinical results have important clinical implications of how focal radiotherapy can be combined with systemic oncolytic viral administration for highly aggressive, locally advanced tumors with the potential, by using a vaccinia virus targeting human vascular endothelial growth factor, to further increase tumor radiation sensitivity by engaging the vascular component in addition to cancer cells.
Virotherapy on the basis of oncolytic vaccinia virus (VACV) strains is a promising approach for cancer therapy. Recently, we showed that the oncolytic vaccinia virus GLV-1h68 has a therapeutic potential in treating human prostate and hepatocellular carcinomas in xenografted mice. In this study, we describe the use of dynamic boolean modeling for tumor growth prediction of vaccinia virus-injected human tumors. Antigen profiling data of vaccinia virus GLV-1h68-injected human xenografted mice were obtained, analyzed and used to calculate differences in the tumor growth signaling network by tumor type and gender. Our model combines networks for apoptosis, MAPK, p53, WNT, Hedgehog, the T-killer cell mediated cell death, Interferon and Interleukin signaling networks. The in silico findings conform very well with in vivo findings of tumor growth. Similar to a previously published analysis of vaccinia virus-injected canine tumors, we were able to confirm the suitability of our boolean modeling for prediction of human tumor growth after virus infection in the current study as well. In summary, these findings indicate that our boolean models could be a useful tool for testing of the efficacy of VACV-mediated cancer therapy already before its use in human patients.
Macromolecular complexes, also termed molecular machines, facilitate a large spectrum of biological reactions and tasks crucial to the survival of cells. These complexes are composed of either protein only, or proteins bound to nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). Prominent examples for each class are the proteosome, the nucleosome and the ribosome. How such units are assembled within the context of a living cell is a central question in molecular biology. Earlier studies had indicated that even very large complexes such as ribosomes could be reconstituted from purified constituents in vitro. The structural information required for the formation of macromolecular complexes, hence, lies within the subunits itself and, thus, allow for self- assembly. However, increasing evidence suggests that in vivo many macromolecular complexes do not form spontaneously but require assisting factors (“assembly chaperones”) for their maturation. In this thesis the assembly of RNA-protein (RNP) complexes has been studied by a combination of biochemical and structural approaches. A resourceful model system to study this process is the biogenesis pathway of the uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (U snRNPs) of the spliceosome. This molecular machine catalyzes pre-mRNA splicing, i.e. the removal of non-coding introns and the joining of coding exons to functional mRNA. The composition and architecture of U snRNPs is well defined, also, the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport events enabling the formation of these particles in vivo have been analyzed in some detail. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that the formation of U snRNPs in vivo is mediated by an elaborate assembly machinery consisting of protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT5)- and survival motor neuron (SMN)-complexes. The elucidation of the reaction mechanism of cellular U snRNP assembly would serve as a paradigm for our understanding of how RNA-protein complexes are formed in the cellular environment. The following key findings were obtained as part of this study: 1) Efforts were made to establish a full inventory of the subunits of the SMN-complex. This was achieved by the biochemical definition and characterization of an atypical component of this complex, the unrip protein. This protein is associated with the SMN-complex exclusively in the cytoplasm and influences its subcellular localization. 2) With a full inventory of the components in hand, the architecture of the SMN-complex was defined on the basis of an interaction map of all subunits. This study elucidated that the proteins SMN, Gemin7 and Gemin8 form a backbone, onto which the remaining subunits adhere in a modular manner. 3) The two studies mentioned above formed the basis to elucidate the reaction mechanism of cellular U snRNP assembly. Initially, an early phase in the SMN-assisted formation of U snRNPs was analyzed. Two subunits of the U7 snRNP (LSm10 and 11) were found to interact with the PRMT5-complex, without being methylated. This report suggests that the stimulatory role of the PRMT5-complex is independent of its methylation activity. 4) Key reaction intermediates in U snRNP assembly were found and characterized by a combination of biochemistry and structural studies. Initially, a precursor to U snRNPs with a sedimentation coefficient of 6S is formed by the pICln subunit of the PRMT5-complex and Sm proteins. This intermediate was shown to constitute a kinetic trap in the U snRNP assembly reaction. Progression towards the assembled U snRNP depends on the activity of the SMN-complex, which acts as a catalyst. The formation of U snRNPs is shown to be structurally similar to the way clamps are deposited onto DNA to tether poorly processive polymerases. 5) The human SMN-complex is composed of several subunits. However, it is unknown whether all subunits of this entity are essential for U snRNP assembly. A combination of bioinformatics and biochemistry was applied to tackle this question. By mining databases containing whole-genome assemblies, the SMN-Gemin2 heterodimer is recognized as the most ancestral form of the SMN-complex. Biochemical purification of the Drosophila melanogaster SMN-complex reveals that this complex is composed of the same two subunits. Furthermore, evidence is provided that the SMN-Gemin2 heterodimer is necessary and sufficient to promote faithful U snRNP assembly. Future studies will adress further details in the reaction mechanism of cellular U snRNP assembly. The results obtained in this thesis suggest that the SMN and Gemin2 subunits are sufficient to promote U snRNP formation. What then is the function of the remaining subunits of the SMN-complex? The reconstitution schemes established in this thesis will be instrumental to address this question. Furthermore, additional mechanistic insights into the U snRNP assembly reaction will require the elucidation of structures of the assembly machinery trapped at various states. The prerequisite for these structural studies, the capability to generate homogenous complexes in sufficient amounts, has been accomplished in this thesis.
Somatostatin ist ein regulatorisches Peptid, das eine Vielzahl von biologischen Prozessen innerhalb des Körpers beeinflußt. Die Wirkung von Somatostatin wird auf zellulärer Ebene über eine Familie von fünf G-Protein-gekoppelten Rezeptoren vermittelt, die entweder in G Protein-abhängiger Weise oder vermutlich auch über andere interagierende intrazelluläre Proteine auf nachgeschaltete Signaltransduktionswege wirken. Der Somatostatinrezeptor Subtyp 4 (SSTR4) wird hauptsächlich im Gehirn exprimiert und wirkt dort inhibierend auf die exzitatorische Signalweiterleitung. Es sind aber auch stimulierende Effekte des SSTR4 bekannt. Um das subtypspezifische Signalverhalten des SSTR4 weiter zu untersuchen, wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit Proteine gesucht, die intrazellulär mit dem SSTR4 interagieren und so seine physiologischen Effekte beeinflussen. In einem ersten Ansatz konnten drei mögli-che Interaktionspartner mit Hilfe des Hefe-Zwei-Hybrid-Systems identifiziert werden, die aber in nachfolgenden Untersuchungen als unpezifisch eingestuft wurden. Mit Hilfe einer Affinitätschromatografie wurden dann zwei Proteine identifiziert, die spezifisch mit dem SSTR4 interagieren. Sowohl PSD-95 als auch PSD-93 (Postsynaptic density protein of 95 kDa bzw. 93kDa) wurden mit einem immobilisierten Peptid präzipitiert, das die neun C-terminalen Aminosäuren des SSTR4 enthält. Die Interaktion des SSTR4 mit PSD 95 wurde im Weiteren näher charakterisiert. In einem Bindungsexperiment mit rekombinaten Proteinen konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Interaktion durch die 1. und 2. PDZ-Domäne von PSD-95 vermittelt wird. In humanen embryonalen Nieren-Zellen (HEK293), die den SSTR4 stabil exprimieren, konnte PSD-95 mit dem Rezeptor koimmunpräzipitiert werden. Nach Koexpression von PSD-95 und SSTR4 findet man eine partielle Kolokalisierung beider Proteine an der Zellmembran, wobei aber der Großteil des PSD-95 weiterhin eine diffuse zytoplasmatische Verteilung zeigt. Die Interaktion wurde in vivo sowohl immunhistochemisch in kultivierten Hippocampus-Neuronen als auch durch Koimmunpräzipitation beider Proteine aus Rattengehirn-Lysaten nachgewiesen. Die Interaktion von PSD-95 mit dem SSTR4 beeinflußt weder die Agonisten-induzierte Internalisierung des Rezeptors in HEK293-Zellen, noch die Kopplung des Rezeptors an einen G-Protein-gekoppelten einwärtsgleichrichtenden Kaliumkanal in Oozyten des afrikanischen Krallenfrosches Xenopus laevis. Durch die Interaktion mit PSD-95 wird der SSTR4 in physikalische Nähe zu bestimmten Zielproteinen gebracht, über die nachfolgend die Somatostatineffekte weitervermittelt werden. So ermöglicht die Interaktion vermutlich eine Integration des SSTR4 in den postsynaptischen Komplex aus PSD-95 und Glutamatrezeptoren, wo der SSTR4 die bereits beschrieben regulatorischen Effekte auf die Glutamat-vermittelte exzitatorische Signaltransduktion ausüben kann.
Bei Daidzein und Bisphenol A handelt es sich um zwei Vertreter einer Klasse von Stoffen, die als „Umwelthormone“ (engl. endocrine disrupter) bezeichnet werden. Aus der Gruppe der Phytoöstrogene wurde Daidzein als wichtiger Vertreter, der in hohen Konzentrationen in vielen Nutzpflanzen und Nahrungsmitteln vorkommt, ausgewählt. Sojaprodukte, die den größten Beitrag einer menschlichen Exposition gegen Daidzein liefern, werden in zunehmendem Maße auch in westlichen Ländern konsumiert. Bisphenol A wurde als Vertreter der Xenoöstrogene gewählt, da es - was Weltjahresproduktion und Verwendung angeht - die wohl wichtigste Substanz dieser Gruppe darstellt. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurde die Biotransformation und Toxikokinetik der beiden Verbindungen nach oraler Gabe in der Ratte aufgeklärt. Dabei konnte gezeigt werden, daß die orale Bioverfügbarkeit beider Substanzen in der Ratte sehr gering war. Maximal zehn Prozent der jeweils applizierten Dosis konnten im Urin der Tiere wiedergefunden werden. Als Hauptmetabolit wurden sowohl von Daidzein als auch von Bisphenol A das jeweilige Glucuronid-Konjugat gebildet. Bei Daidzein überwog in der männlichen Ratte zusätzlich das Sulfat-Konjugat. Der Anteil an freier, d.h. unkonjugierter Verbindung betrug im Urin der Tiere zwischen 1 und 3 Prozent der Dosis. Außer den Phase II-Konjugaten, die aufgrund ihrer mangelnden östrogenen Wirksamkeit zu einer Detoxifizierung der beiden Verbindungen führte, konnten nach Gabe von Bisphenol A in der Ratte keine weiteren Metabolite identifiziert werden. Nach Exposition mit Daidzein konnten in den Faeces der Tiere in geringem Umfang die beiden reduktiven Metabolite Equol und O-DMA gefunden werden. Diese wurden wahrscheinlich im Magen-Darm-Trakt durch die Bakterien der Darmflora gebildet. Sowohl Daidzein als auch Bisphenol A wurden bei der Ratte nur unvollständig aus dem Magen-Darm-Trakt resorbiert; der Großteil der gegebenen Dosis wurde als unveränderte Substanz in den Faeces wiedergefunden. Bei Bisphenol A wurde die Ausscheidung zudem durch einen ausgeprägten enterohepatischen Kreislauf verzögert. Im zweiten Teil der Arbeit wurden zunächst empfindliche GC/MS- und HPLC-Methoden zur Quantifizierung der Verbindungen in humanen Plasma- und Urinproben entwickelt. Danach wurden freiwillige Probanden oral mit jeweils 5 mg Daidzein bzw. d16-Bisphenol A exponiert, um Daten zur Biotransformation und Toxikokinetik der beiden Substanzen im Mensch zu erhalten. Wegen des deutlich meßbaren Hintergrundes an Bisphenol A, das in allen Kontrollproben nachweisbar war, wurde für die Humanstudie die deuterierte Verbindung gegeben, für die kein störender Hintergrund meßbar war. Die Bioverfügbarkeit der Gesamt-Substanz (freie Verbindung + Konjugate) im Menschen war in beiden Fällen deutlich höher als in der Ratte. Von Daidzein wurden 40 Prozent (Ratte 10 Prozent), von Bisphenol A > 95 Prozent (Ratte 13 Prozent) der applizierten Dosis im Urin der Probanden wiedergefunden. Dabei zeigte sich ein sehr effizienter Phase II-Metabolismus; weniger als 1 Prozent der Glucuronid-Konjugatkonzentrationen wurden als unveränderte Substanz gefunden. Das Glucuronid stellte in beiden Fällen den einzigen nachweisbaren Metaboliten dar. Die Elimination von Daidzein und Bisphenol A verlief in den beiden Studien sehr schnell nach einer Kinetik erster Ordnung. Im Gegensatz zu der Ratte konnten auch bei Bisphenol A keine Auffälligkeiten in den Ausscheidungskurven beobachtet werden, Hinweise auf einen enterohepatischen Kreislauf im Menschen wurden nicht gefunden. Im Falle von Bisphenol A wurde fast die komplette applizierte Dosis (> 95 Prozent) in Form des Glucuronides im Urin wiedergefunden. Anhand der erhobenen Daten wurde anschließend eine Beurteilung des Risikos für den Menschen abgegeben.
Peroxisomes are ubiquitous organelles with essential functions in numerous cellular processes such as lipid metabolism, detoxification of reactive oxygen species and signaling. Knowledge of the peroxisomal proteome including multi-localized proteins and, most importantly, changes of its composition induced by altering cellular conditions or impaired peroxisome biogenesis and function is of paramount importance for a holistic view on peroxisomes and their diverse functions in a cellular context. In this chapter, we provide a spatial proteomics protocol specifically tailored to the analysis of the peroxisomal proteome of baker's yeast that enables the definition of the peroxisomal proteome under distinct conditions and to monitor dynamic changes of the proteome including the relocation of individual proteins to a different cellular compartment. The protocol comprises subcellular fractionation by differential centrifugation followed by Nycodenz density gradient centrifugation of a crude peroxisomal fraction, quantitative mass spectrometric measurements of subcellular and density gradient fractions and advanced computational data analysis, resulting in the establishment of organellar maps on a global scale.
Molecular Signatures Associated with HCV-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Metastasis
(2013)
Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that differ in risk factors and genetic alterations. In Italy, particularly Southern Italy, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents the main cause of HCC. Using high-density oligoarrays, we identified consistent differences in gene-expression between HCC and normal liver tissue. Expression patterns in HCC were also readily distinguishable from those associated with liver metastases. To characterize molecular events relevant to hepatocarcinogenesis and identify biomarkers for early HCC detection, gene expression profiling of 71 liver biopsies from HCV-related primary HCC and corresponding HCV-positive non-HCC hepatic tissue, as well as gastrointestinal liver metastases paired with the apparently normal peri-tumoral liver tissue, were compared to 6 liver biopsies from healthy individuals. Characteristic gene signatures were identified when normal tissue was compared with HCV-related primary HCC, corresponding HCV-positive non-HCC as well as gastrointestinal liver metastases. Pathway analysis classified the cellular and biological functions of the genes differentially expressed as related to regulation of gene expression and post-translational modification in HCV-related primary HCC; cellular Growth and Proliferation, and Cell-To-Cell Signaling and Interaction in HCV-related non HCC samples; Cellular Growth and Proliferation and Cell Cycle in metastasis. Also characteristic gene signatures were identified of HCV-HCC progression for early HCC diagnosis.
Conclusions: A diagnostic molecular signature complementing conventional pathologic assessment was identified.
Formation oft the central nervous system (CNS) from multipotent neuronal stem cells (NSCs) requires a tightly controlled, step-wise activation of the neuronal gene expression program. Expression of neuronal genes at the transition from neural stem cell to mature neuron (i. e. neuronal cell differentiation) is controlled by the Repressor element 1 (RE1) silencing transcription factor (REST) complex. As a master transcriptional regulator, the REST-complex specifically inhibits expression of neuronal genes in non-neuronal tissues and neuronal progenitor cells. Differentiation of NSCs to mature neurons requires the activation of genes controlled by the REST-complex, but how abrogation of REST-complex mediated repression is achieved during neurogenesis is only poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small regulatory RNAs that posttranscriptionally control target gene expression. Binding of miRNAs to target sequences in the 3’UTR of mRNAs, leads either to degradation or translational inhibition of the mRNA. Distinct neuronal miRNAs (e.g. miR-124) were shown to modulate REST-complex activity by silencing expression of REST-complex components. Interestingly, these miRNAs are also under transcriptional control of the REST-complex and inactivation of the REST-complex precedes their expression. Hence, additional factors are required for derepression of neuronal genes at the onset of neurogenesis. In this study function of the miR-26 family during neurogenesis of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) was analyzed. Computational target prediction revealed a number of REST-complex components as putative miR-26 targets. One of these predicted target genes, the C-terminal domain small phosphatase 2 (Ctdsp2) was validated as an in vivo target for miR-26b. Ctdsps are important cofactors of REST and suppress neuronal gene expression by dephosphorylating the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Interestingly, miR-26b is encoded in an intron of the ctdsp2 primary transcript and is cotranscribed together with its host gene. Hence, miR-26b modulates expression of its host gene ctdsp2 in an intrinsic negative autoregulatory loop. This negative autoregulatory loop is inactive in NSCs because miR-26b biogenesis is inhibited at the precursor level. Generation of mature miR-26b is activated during neurogenesis, where it suppresses Ctdsp2 protein expression and is required for neuronal cell differentiation in vivo. Strikingly, miR-26b is expressed prior to miR-124 during neuronal cell differentiation. Thus, it is reasonable to speculate about a function of miR-26b in early events of neurogenesis. In line with this assumption, knockdown of miR-26b in zebrafish embryos results in downregulation of REST-complex controlled neuronal genes and a block in neuronal cell differentiation, most likely due to aberrant regulation of Ctdsp2 expression. This is evident by reduced numbers of secondary motor neurons compared to control siblings. In contrast, motor neuron progenitor cells and glia cells were not affected by depletion of miR-26b.This study identifies the ctdsp2/miR-26b autoregulatory loop as the first experimentally validated interaction between an intronic miRNA and its host gene transcript. Silencing of ctdsp2 by miR-26b in neurons is possible because biogenesis of the ctdsp2 mRNA and mature mir-26b is uncoupled at the posttranscriptional level. Furthermore the obtained data indicate a cell type specific role for miR-26b in vertebrate neurogenesis and CNS development.