Coupled mRNA stabilization and translational silencing of cyclooxygenase-2 by a novel RNA binding protein, CUGBP2

Debnath Mukhopadhyay, Courtney W. Houchen, Susan Kennedy, Brian K. Dieckgraefe, Shrikant Anant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

193 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is translationally silenced in epithelial cells undergoing radiation-induced apoptosis. CUGBP2, a predominantly nuclear protein, is also rapidly induced in response to radiation and translocates to the cytoplasm. Antisense-mediated suppression of CUGBP2 renders radioprotection through a COX-2-dependent prostaglandin pathway, providing an in vivo demonstration of translation inhibition activity for CUGBP2. CUGBP2 binds to two sets of AU-rich sequences (AREs) located within the first sixty nucleotides of the COX-2 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR). Upon binding, CUGBP2 stabilizes a chimeric luciferase-COX-2 3′UTR mRNA but inhibits its translation. These findings identify a novel paradigm for RNA binding proteins in facilitating opposing functions of mRNA stability and translation inhibition and reveal a mechanism for inhibiting COX-2 expression in cancer cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)113-126
Number of pages14
JournalMolecular cell
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2003

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