Name: xenopus laevis as a model to identify translation impairment
Uploaded: 2015-09-27T14:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment at JoVE.com

This research was supported by grant from INSERM, University of Lille 1, University of Lille 2, Regional Hospital Center of Lille (CHR de Lille). MCCH acknowledges supports from the Fondation de France and wishes to thank IRCL, Pr. Sonenberg for the gift of the V5-plasmids, Dr. Dissous (Pasteur Institute, Lille) for the gift of anti-GFP antibodies, UMS 3387 (University of Rennes) where Xenopus oocytes are purchased and Dr Taymans (JPArc, Lille) for critical reading of the manuscript text.

All Xenopus experiments were performed at the animal facility of the Lille 1 University according to the rules of the European Community Council guidelines (86/609/EEC) for laboratory animal experimentation. The animal protocol was approved by the local institutional review board (Comit&#233; d&#8217;Ethique en Experimentation Animale Nord-Pas-De-Calais, CEEA 07/2010).
1. Oocyte Handling
<ol>
	<li>Prepare the anesthetic solution: dissolve 1 g of tricaine methane sulphonate powder in...

<ol>
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D., Wu, M., Wickens, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Polyadenylation+of+c-mos+mRNA+as+a+control+point+in+Xenopus+meiotic+maturation.">Polyadenylation of c-mos mRNA as a control point in Xenopus meiotic maturation.</a> Nature. 374 (6522), 511-516 (1995).</li><li>Gebauer, F., Richter, J. 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Translation is a mechanism involved in the physiopathology of numerous human disorders including several neurodegenerative diseases. For instance in Parkinson&#8217;s disease several reports suggested the impairment in translation associated with hereditary mutations8,12,13.
Several cellular models are available to study translation. Here, in order to study the translational consequences of a mutation in eIF4G1 that acts as dominant negative mutation reducing the interaction between...

Proteins are essential elements of cellular life and thus at larger-scale of the organism. They ensure the majority of cellular functions including structure, transport, reaction catalysis, regulation, gene expression etc.&#160;Their expression is the result of a complex mechanism of translation allowing the conversion of an mRNA into protein. The translation is subjected to various controls to adapt and to regulate gene expression according to the cell needs, during development and differentiation, aging, physiological stresses or pathological manifestations.
Translation is divided into 3 phases (initiation, elongation and termination) and presents 3 initiation translation systems in order to respond to these needs: cap-dependent, cap-independent via Internal Ribosome Entry Segment (IRES) structures and cap-Independent Translation Enhancers (CITE).
Most eukaryotic mRNA are translated in a cap-dependent manner via the 7-methylguanosine 5&#39;-triphosphate cap that serves as a recognition feature during protein synthesis. This cap binds to eIF4E, a component of eIF4F complex with eIF4G1 and eIF4A. Associated with other partners like poly(A) Binding Protein (PABP), eIF2-GTP-Met-tRNAMet, these translation initiation factors allow to circularize mRNA and improve its accessibility to forms 43S complex until the AUG initiation codon recognition1. This event corresponds to the end of the translation initiation i.e., the first step of translation.
Cap-independent translation is used by mRNA encoding for essential proteins under stressed conditions that induce for instance cell proliferation and apoptosis. This mechanism involves secondary structures in mRNA 5&#39;- untranslated region (UTR) called IRES, the carboxy-terminal end of eIF4G1 associated with eIF4A and the 43S complex. The binding of this 43S pre-initiation complex to IRES initiates the cap independent translation without the need for eIF4E factor2,3.
Finally, another translation mechanism still not well understood supports this cap-independent translation activity under stressed conditions via CITE structures located within mRNA UTR 4.
Through these various modes of translation differing by their initiation steps, translation plays a critical role in cellular homeostasis and any change in one of these processes would thus impact the organism with small to large scale effects. Indeed, the initiation is a rate limiting step governing the correct translation processes of mRNA into proteins and is thus the target of numerous controls and regulation points5. Whether it is for the latter or for components of these processes, if one turns out to be defective, it will perturb the established balance in the cell and thus could lead to pathologic conditions. In this context, mutations in translation factors have been involved in several disorders including neurodegenerative disorders such as `leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter&#180; (eIF2B1-5 subunit)6, in Walcott-Rallison syndrome (EIF2AK3 gene encoding for PERK)7, potentially in Parkinson&#39;s disease (eIF4G1 p.R1205H)8. It is therefore important to conduct cellular and molecular studies of these mutant proteins to increase our knowledge on disease development and on the general process of translation initiation.
To carry out these studies, it is essential to choose the most adequate models to observe the consequences of these mutations. Xenopus laevis oocytes are particularly well adapted due to their physiological and biochemical properties: physiological synchronicity (blocked in phase G2 of the cell cycle), high capacity of protein synthesis (200-400 ng/day/oocyte), high number of extracted oocytes from a same animal (800-1,000 oocytes/female) and cell size (1.2-1.4 mm in diameter) which facilitates their manipulation. Microinjection of Xenopus oocytes with synthesized mRNA can easily be performed to dissect translation steps. In this view it presents other advantages. Given the speed of meiosis progression and of translation after mRNA microinjection (~24 hr), Xenopus oocyte represents a fast system compared to reconstituted cellular systems (extracted from E.coli, wheat germs or rabbit reticulocyte...) in which an mRNA is translated with a reduced translation rate and at a lower speed. So, the effects of a mutation introduced in an mRNA will be quickly observable and easily studied in several oocytes. Another advantage of Xenopus oocytes is that maternal mRNAs are latent and protein translation is blocked before progesterone stimulation. Addition of progesterone is thus a good means of controlling the translation induction. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation does not occur during oogenesis. It begins during oocyte maturation in progesterone-stimulated oocytes in a temporal order and continues throughout early development and could be used to study the different steps of translation.
The polyadenylation of mos mRNA is among the first to occur and it belongs with Aurora A/Eg2, Histone-Like B4 mRNA to the class of &#8220;early maturation&#8221; genes as defined in Charlesworth et al. (2004)9. The translational induction of &#8220;late&#8221; mRNA such as Cyclin A1 and Cyclin B1 occurs around the time of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Mos mRNA encodes a serine/threonine-protein kinase. Its translation is crucial since it induces the MAP kinase cascade that indirectly activates the oocyte maturation. Indeed, in response to progesterone, polyadenylation of mos mRNA is enhanced via a process involving Aurora A/Eg2 regulatory proteins and other RNA binding proteins with the 3&#8217;UTR of mos mRNA. This increased polyadenylation of mos mRNA leads to an increase of mos protein level, which in turn activates MEK1. This process mediates the activation of the extracellular signaling-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) (Figure 1). This signaling cascade can then trigger the maturation M-phase promoting factors, a complex formed by Cyclin B and Cdc2 kinase, and eventually results in meiotic resumption.
Therefore in Xenopus laevis oocytes, the study of maternal mRNA such as mos could easily be used to test their translatability with several endpoints from their efficient polyadenylation to translation of several mos signaling components, including also the determination of the GVBD rate. This system is therefore interesting to evaluate the first consequences of mutations in translation initiation factors without interference of newly transcribed mRNA or of transfection efficiency, problems often occurring with eukaryotic cell studies.
Here, a protocol is established where mutant eIF4G1 mRNAs are microinjected in Xenopus laevis oocytes and the translation of maternal mRNA is tested. In the presence of a defect in GVBD progression, mos mRNA polyadenylation which is essential for progression through the oocyte meiotic cell cycle and for the subsequent translation of early and late class mRNAs is ascertained. The phosphorylation Aurora A/Eg2 and ERK is also studied to confirm the consequence of mos deregulation.Thus, Xenopus oocytes represent a simple way to analyse different steps of mRNA translation.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Tricaine methane sulphonate</td>
			<td>Sandoz</td>
			<td>MS-222</td>
			<td rowspan="8">oocytes handling</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Forceps</td>
			<td>Moria</td>
			<td>Dumont MC40</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Streptomycin/penicillin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>781</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium pyruvate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P2256</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Soybean trypsin inhibitor</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>T9128</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tetracyclin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>T7660</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Veterinarian absorbable Vicryl thread</td>
			<td>Johnson&#38;Johson Intl</td>
			<td>JV1205</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase A</td>
			<td>Roche diagnostics</td>
			<td>10103586001</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PmeI</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>R0560S</td>
			<td rowspan="14">Preparation of synthetic mRNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DNAse/RNAse free H2O</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>10977</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium Acetate</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>6268</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Absolute ethanol</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>02854</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nano Drop</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TBE 10X</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>0032006.507</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ethidium bromide 10 mg/mL</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>15585-011</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mMESSAGE mMACHINE&#174; Kit</td>
			<td>Ambion by Life Technologies</td>
			<td>AM1344</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MOPS</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M1254</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EDTA</td>
			<td>Fluka</td>
			<td>03609</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Agarose</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>16500-500</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Formaldehyde 37%</td>
			<td>Merck</td>
			<td>1.04003.1000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Formamide</td>
			<td>Fluka</td>
			<td>47671</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gel Doc Imager</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oocyte Pipet with 100 8&#34; Glass Capillaries</td>
			<td>Drummond Scientific Company</td>
			<td>3-000-510-X</td>
			<td rowspan="4">microinjection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Replacement Glass 8&#34;</td>
			<td>Drummond Scientific Company</td>
			<td>3-000-210-G8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0,45 &#181;m filter</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>SLHA025NB</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Progesterone</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P0130</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hepes</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H3375</td>
			<td rowspan="32">Western Blot</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NaCl</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S5886</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SDS</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>161-0301</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MgCl2</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A3294</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine serum albumin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A4612</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>leupeptin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>L8511</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>aprotinin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A1153</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>benzamidine</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>B6506</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PMSF</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P7626</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>sodium vanadate</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>S6508</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laemmli buffer</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>161-0737</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NuPAGE Novex 4-12% Bis-Tris Protein Gels, 1.0 mm, 15 well</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>NP0323BOX</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, mini-Protean TGX</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>456-1036 and -1096</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>horizontal semi-dry blotting system</td>
			<td>W.E.P. Compagny</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glycine</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>161-0718</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-HCl</td>
			<td>Biorad</td>
			<td>161-0719</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hybond ECL Membrane</td>
			<td>Amersham Life Science</td>
			<td>10401180</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Methanol</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>20846-292</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ponceau Red (0,5%)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P3504</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tween 20</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P2287</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-GFP</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>A11122</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-V5</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-58052</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Eg2</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-27884</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Eg2-P</td>
			<td>Cell Signaling</td>
			<td>C39D8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-ERK2</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-1647</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-ERK2-P (Tyr204)</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-7976</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-Rsk</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-231</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-mos</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-86</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-mouse horseradish peroxidase labeled secondary antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-2005</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-rabbit horseradish peroxidase labeled secondary antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-2812</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>anti-goat horseradish peroxidase labeled secondary antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-2378</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Advanced ECL Detection System</td>
			<td>Amershan Life Science</td>
			<td>RPN2135</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS 1x</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P4417</td>
			<td rowspan="11">polyadenylation assay</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TRIZOL (Qiazol Lysis Reagent)</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>79306</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chloroform</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>31998-8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isopropanol</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>278475-1L</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNeasy mini kit</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>74106</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RTL buffer&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>79216</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAse free DNAse set</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>79254</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Primers</td>
			<td>Eurogentec</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T4 RNA ligase 1&#160;</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>M0204S</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>High capacity c-DNA Reverse Transcription kit</td>
			<td>Applied Biosystems, Life Technologies</td>
			<td>4368813</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Taq polymerase</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>10342020</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

xenopus laevis as a model to identify translation impairment

Protein synthesis is a fundamental process to gene expression impacting diverse biological processes notably adaptation to environmental conditions. The initiation step, which involves the assembly of the ribosomal subunits at the mRNA initiation codon, involved initiation factor including eIF4G1. Defects in this rate limiting step of translation are linked to diverse disorders. To study the potential consequences of such deregulations, Xenopus laevis oocytes constitute an attractive model with high degrees of conservation of essential cellular and molecular mechanisms with human. In addition, during meiotic maturation, oocytes are transcriptionally repressed and all necessary proteins are translated from preexisting, maternally derived mRNAs. This inexpensive model enables exogenous mRNA to become perfectly integrated with an effective translation. Here is described a protocol for assessing translation with a factor of interest (here eIF4G1) using stored maternal mRNA that are the first to be polyadenylated and translated during oocyte maturation as a physiological readout. At first, mRNA synthetized by in vitro transcription of plasmids of interest (here eIF4G1) are injected in oocytes and kinetics of oocyte maturation by Germinal Vesicle Breakdown detection is determined. The studied maternal mRNA target is the serine/threonine-protein-kinase mos. Its polyadenylation and its subsequent translation are investigated together with the expression and phosphorylation of proteins of the mos signaling cascade involved in oocyte maturation. Variations of the current protocol to put forward translational defects are also proposed to emphasize its general applicability. In light of emerging evidence that aberrant protein synthesis may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, such a model provides the opportunity to easily assess this impairment and identify new targets.

Kinetic maturation of Xenopus oocytes and determination of the percentage oocyte GVBD after 24 hr of PG stimulation (Figures 2B, 2C):
In order to study the translational consequences of the eIF4G1-DN mutation, the response to PG in Xenopus laevis oocytes microinjected with cRNA eIF4G1-DN is compared to eIF4G1-WT and to other control conditions (H2O, GFP). The controls enable to assess the incidence of oocyte microinjection regardless of the nature ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment at JoVE.com

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Protein synthesis control occurs mainly at the translation initiation step, deficiencies in which are linked to diverse disorders. To better understand their etiology, we described here a protocol using Xenopus laevis oocytes assessing the translation of mos transcript in the presence of a mutant of translation initiation factor eIF4G1.

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Protein synthesis is a fundamental process to gene expression impacting diverse biological processes notably adaptation to environmental conditions. The ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

Dissection of Organizer and Animal Pole Explants from Xenopus laevis Embryos and Assembly of a Cell Adhesion Assay

Plastic Embedding and Sectioning of Xenopus laevis Embryos

Obtaining Eggs from Xenopus laevis Females

The eggs of Xenopus laevis intact, lysed, and/or fractionated are useful for a wide variety of experiments. This protocol shows how to induce egg laying, ...

Preparation and Fractionation of Xenopus laevis Egg Extracts

Crude and fractionated Xenopus egg extracts can be used to provide ingredients for reconstituting cellular processes for morphological and biochemical ...

Microinjection of Xenopus Laevis Oocytes

Microinjection of Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by thin-sectioning electron microscopy (EM) is an excellent system for studying nucleocytoplasmic ...

Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant (ACT) Assay in Xenopus laevis

Tissue Determination Using the Animal Cap Transplant ACT Assay in Xenopus laevis

Many proteins play a dual role in embryonic development. Those that regulate cell fate determination in a specific tissue can also affect the development ...

Live-cell Imaging and Quantitative Analysis of Embryonic Epithelial Cells in Xenopus laevis

Live-cell Imaging and Quantitative Analysis of Embryonic Epithelial Cells in Xenopus laevis

Embryonic epithelial cells serve as an ideal model to study morphogenesis where multi-cellular tissues undergo changes in their geometry, such as changes ...

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation

Production of Transgenic Xenopus laevis by Restriction Enzyme Mediated Integration and Nuclear Transplantation

Stable integration of cloned gene products into the Xenopus genome is necessary to control the time and place of expression, to express genes at later ...

Production of Xenopus tropicalis Egg Extracts to Identify Microtubule-associated RNAs

Production of Xenopus tropicalis Egg Extracts to Identify Microtubule-associated RNAs

Many  organisms localize mRNAs to specific subcellular destinations to spatially and  temporally control gene expression. Recent studies have demonstrated ...

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos

Facial Transplants in Xenopus laevis Embryos

Craniofacial birth defects occur in 1 out of every 700 live births, but etiology is rarely known due to limited understanding of craniofacial development. ...