A GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia (C9ALS/FTD). C9orf72 encodes two C9orf72 protein isoforms of unclear function. Reduced levels of C9orf72 expression have been reported in C9ALS/FTD patients, and although C9orf72 haploinsufficiency has been proposed to contribute to C9ALS/FTD, its significance is not yet clear. Here, we report that C9orf72 interacts with Rab1a and the Unc‐51‐like kinase 1 (ULK1) autophagy initiation complex. As a Rab1a effector, C9orf72 controls initiation of autophagy by regulating the Rab1a‐dependent trafficking of the ULK1 autophagy initiation complex to the phagophore. Accordingly, reduction of C9orf72 expression in cell lines and primary neurons attenuated autophagy and caused accumulation of p62‐positive puncta reminiscent of the p62 pathology observed in C9ALS/FTD patients. Finally, basal levels of autophagy were markedly reduced in C9ALS/FTD patient‐derived iNeurons. Thus, our data identify C9orf72 as a novel Rab1a effector in the regulation of autophagy and indicate that C9orf72 haploinsufficiency and associated reductions in autophagy might be the underlying cause of C9ALS/FTD‐associated p62 pathology.

Expansion of GGGGCC repeats in C9orf72 causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Using RNA pulldown and immunohistochemistry in ALS biosamples, Cooper-Knock et al. identify proteins that bind to the repeat expansions. Disrupted RNA splicing and/or nuclear export may underlie C9orf72-ALS pathogenesis.

Increasing a protein concentration in solution to the required level, without causing aggregation and precipitation is often a challenging but important task, especially in the field of structural biology; as little as 20% of nonmembrane proteins have been found to be suitable candidates for structural studies predominantly due to poor protein solubility. We demonstrate here that simultaneous addition of charged amino acids L-Arg and L-Glu at 50 mM to the buffer can dramatically increase the maximum achievable concentration of soluble protein (up to 8.7 times). These amino acids are effective in preventing protein aggregation and precipitation, and they dramatically increase the long-term stability of the sample; additionally, they protect protein samples from proteolytic degradation. Specific protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions are not adversely affected by the presence of these amino acids. These additives are particularly suitable for situations where high protein concentration and long-term stability are required, including solution-state studies of isotopically labeled proteins by NMR.

SummaryMessenger RNA (mRNA) export adaptors play an important role in the transport of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. They couple early mRNA processing events such as 5′ capping and 3′ end formation with loading of the TAP/NXF1 export receptor onto mRNA. The canonical adaptor REF/ALY/Yra1 is recruited to mRNA via UAP56 and subsequently delivers the mRNA to NXF1 [1]. Knockdown of UAP56 [2, 3] and NXF1 [4–7] in higher eukaryotes efficiently blocks mRNA export, whereas knockdown of REF only causes a modest reduction, suggesting the existence of additional adaptors [8–10]. Here we identify a new UAP56-interacting factor, UIF, which functions as an export adaptor, binding NXF1 and delivering mRNA to the nuclear pore. REF and UIF are simultaneously found on the same mRNA molecules, and both proteins are required for efficient export of mRNA. We show that the histone chaperone FACT specifically binds UIF, but not REF, via the SSRP1 subunit, and this interaction is required for recruitment of UIF to mRNA. Together the results indicate that REF and UIF represent key human adaptors for the export of cellular mRNAs via the UAP56-NXF1 pathway.

REF/Yra1p interacts with TAP/Mex67p, and in yeast this interaction leads to displacement of Sub2p from Yra1p (7). TAP heterodimerizes with p15 and binds nucleoporins through central and C-terminal domains (8), directing the mRNP to the nuclear pore and promoting transport to the cytoplasm. On the cytoplasmic side of the nuclear pore, Dbp5p triggers displacement of Mex67p from mRNA. Yra1p binds mRNA early during its nuclear maturation but is no longer bound once it reaches the nuclear periphery (9). Consistent with this finding, analysis of Balbiani ring pre-mRNPs shows that UAP56 and REF accompany the mRNP to the nuclear periphery where UAP56 and then REF dissociate during translocation through the pore (10).Although Yra1p is essential for yeast mRNA export, depletion of REF in higher eukaryotes does not block bulk mRNA export (11), suggesting that other proteins can fulfill this role and that there may be functional redundancy between export adaptors. The shuttling SR proteins 9G8, SRp20, and SF2/ASF directly bind TAP by short arginine-rich peptides (12, 13) and can function as export factors (14). Even in yeast, other proteins can recruit Mex67p to the mRNP, including Yra2p (15) and Npl3p.The fact that TAP binds RNA weakly in vitro led to the idea that export factors such as REF, which bind RNA avidly, bridge the interaction between TAP and mRNA, leading to the term mRNA export adaptors (15). However, both TAP and Mex67p are readily UV-cross-linked to mRNA in vivo (16)(17)(18), suggesting a direct stable interaction at some point during export. Here, we show that mRNA is handed over from export adaptors to TAP and that at least in vitro, export adaptors have the ability to enhance the RNA-binding activity of TAP. ResultsThe RNA-and TAP-Binding Sites on REF Overlap. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Mex67p binding to Yra1p triggers displacement of Sub2p (7), so we established whether this is the case for the mammalian orthologs. We examined whether UAP56 coimmunoprecipitated (Co-IP) with REF2-I (REF) in the presence of increasing amounts of TAP. This analysis revealed that TAP triggered dissociation of UAP56 from REF (Fig. 1A, lanes 5 and 6).We analyzed organization of the resulting REF-TAP-RNA ternary complex by examining how REF binds RNA. NMR