A scaffold lncRNA shapes the mitosis to meiosis switch.
Andric, V., Nevers, A., Hazra, D., Auxilien, S., Menant, A., Graille, M., Palancade, B., Rougemaille, M.(2021) Nat Commun 12: 770-770
- PubMed: 33536434 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21032-7
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6YYL, 6YYM - PubMed Abstract: 
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to the regulation of gene expression in response to intra- or extracellular signals but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we identify an uncharacterized lncRNA as a central player in shaping the meiotic gene expression program in fission yeast. We report that this regulatory RNA, termed mamRNA, scaffolds the antagonistic RNA-binding proteins Mmi1 and Mei2 to ensure their reciprocal inhibition and fine tune meiotic mRNA degradation during mitotic growth. Mechanistically, mamRNA allows Mmi1 to target Mei2 for ubiquitin-mediated downregulation, and conversely enables accumulating Mei2 to impede Mmi1 activity, thereby reinforcing the mitosis to meiosis switch. These regulations also occur within a unique Mmi1-containing nuclear body, positioning mamRNA as a spatially-confined sensor of Mei2 levels. Our results thus provide a mechanistic basis for the mutual control of gametogenesis effectors and further expand our vision of the regulatory potential of lncRNAs.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.