beta-Catenin recognizes a specific RNA motif in the cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA 3 -UTR and interacts with HuR in colon cancer cells

摘要

RNA-binding proteins regulate multiple steps of RNA metabolism through both dynamic and combined binding. In addition to its crucial roles in cell adhesion and Wnt-activated transcription in cancer cells, p-catenin regulates RNA alternative splicing and stability possibly by binding to target RNA in cells. An RNA aptamer was selected for specific binding to p-catenin to address RNA recognition by p-catenin more specifically. Here, we characterized the structural properties of the RNA aptamer as a model and identified a p-catenin RNA motif. Similar RNA motif was found in cellular RNA, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA 3 -untranslated region (3 -UTR). More significantly, the C-terminal domain of p-catenin interacted with HuR and the Armadillo repeat domain associated with RNA to form the RNA-p-eatenin-HuR complex in vitro and in cells. Furthermore, the tertiary RNA-protein complex was predominantly found in the cytoplasm of colon cancer cells; thus, it might be related to COX-2 protein level and cancer progression. Taken together, the p-catenin RNA aptamer was valuable for deducing the cellular RNA aptamer and identifying novel and oncogenic RNA-protein networks in colon cancer cells.