April 20th, 2025
Recent Publications Harnessing the Power of Translatomics
Every week we provide a digest of a small number of recent interesting papers in the field of translatomics.
In this week’s Sunday papers,
Zhang et al. used polysome profiling to study the inhibitory effect of miPEP205 micropeptide on triple-negative breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis.
Yu et al. employed ribosome profiling to elucidate the molecular mechanism of microRPG1 micropeptide in governing kernel dehydration for optimising mechanised harvesting.
Yu et al. applied ribosome profiling to identify lncGRN translation potential, refine functional annotation of lncRNAs in atretic follicles, and expand the exploration of micropeptidome in other organisms.
A novel micropeptide miPEP205 suppresses the growth and metastasis of TNBC
Oncogene, 2024
Zhang, Z., Li, F., Dai, X., Deng, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, S., Liu, W., Xie, Y., Pan, Y., Wang, J. and Zhao, T.
In this study, the researchers focused on the characterisation of miPEP205, which is a micropeptide derived from the long non-coding RNA MIR205HG. It was found that miPEP205 expression is significantly downregulated in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues, correlating with poor patient prognosis.
Polysome profiling confirmed that MIR205HG RNA is associated with actively translating ribosomes in TNBC cells, indicating the production of the miPEP205 microprotein. The presence of miPEP205 TNBC cells was further validated through mass spectrometry.
The findings of this paper highlight the inhibitory effect of miPEP205 on TNBC cell proliferation and metastasis by promoting phosphorylation of GSK-3β at Tyr216, leading to β-catenin degradation and inactivation of the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.
In vivo experiments demonstrated that introducing the miPEP205 gene or administering the micropeptide exogenously in MMTV-PyMT mouse models significantly reduced tumour growth and lung metastasis, thereby improving overall survival rates. These findings position miPEP205 as a promising therapeutic target for TNBC intervention.
Learn more about EIRNABio’s polysome profiling service here.
A Zea genus-specific micropeptide controls kernel dehydration in maize
Cell, 2025
Yu, Y., Li, W., Liu, Y., Liu, Y., Zhang, Q., Ouyang, Y., Ding, W., Xue, Y., Zou, Y., Yan, J., Jia, A., Yan, J., Hao, X., Gou, Y., Zhai, Z., Liu, L., Zheng, Y., Zhang, B., Xu, J., Yang, N., Xiao, Y., Zhuo, L., Lai, Z., Yin, P., Liu, H., Fernie, A.R., Jackson, D. and Yan, J.
Kernel dehydration rate (KDR) is an important maize production trait that impacts the effectiveness of advanced mechanised harvesting and kernel quality. The authors identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) named qKDR1 that plays a pivotal role in regulating the KDR in maize. It influences the expression of the qKDR1 REGULATED PEPTIDE GENE (RPG), which encodes a 31-amino acid micropeptide called microRPG1. microRPG1 is Zea genus-specific and has originated de novo from a non-coding sequence.
The authors employed ribosome profiling to investigate the translational status of qKDR1 RPG mRNA. The analysis showed that qKDR1 RPG mRNA is actively translated, leading to the production of microRPG1. The micropeptide modulates the expression of key components of the ethylene signalling pathway, namely ZmETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3-like 1 and 3. Functional analyses revealed that knocking out microRPG1 leads to a faster KDR in maize kernels. Conversely, overexpression or exogenous application of microRPG1 slows down the dehydration process. These findings elucidate the molecular mechanism governing kernel dehydration and offer potential avenues for breeding maize varieties optimized for mechanized harvesting.
Learn more about EIRNABio’s ribosome profiling service here.
Integrative analysis of RNA-seq and Ribo-seq reveals that lncRNA-GRN regulates chicken follicular atresia through miR-103-3p/FBXW7 axis and encoding peptide
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024
Yu, C., Qiu, M., Xiong, X., Peng, H., Han, S., Song, X., Hu, C., Zhang, Z., Xia, B., Chen, J., Zhu, S., Yang, L., Li, W., Yin, H., Zhao, J., Lin, Z., Liu, Y. and Yang, C.
Follicular atresia reduces egg production in laying hens, reducing their economic productivity. In this study, the authors investigated the role of the GRN granulin precursor (lncGRN), which is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) highly expressed in chicken follicular atresia.
Through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of normal and atretic follicles in Dahen broilers, the researchers identified lncGRN as highly expressed in atretic follicles, indicating its potential involvement in follicular atresia.
Further analysis revealed that lncGRN functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), binding to miR-103-3p and thereby upregulating the expression of FBXW7, a gene associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. This interaction inhibits granulosa cell proliferation, promotes apoptosis, and suppresses steroid hormone synthesis, collectively contributing to follicular atresia.
Ribo-seq can reveal previously unrecognised coding potential in lncRNAs. It was discovered that lncGRN encodes a functional micropeptide, GRN-122aa, which also promotes follicular atresia. This dual function of lncGRN—acting both as a ceRNA and encoding a functional micropeptide—provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating chicken follicle development.
These findings suggest that targeting the lncGRN/miR-103-3p/FBXW7 axis and the GRN-122aa micropeptide could be a potential strategy for improving egg production in chickens. This paves the way for genetic or pharmaceutical interventions in poultry breeding.
Learn more about EIRNABio’s ribosome profiling services here.