A new isoform of the human estrogen receptor‐alpha (hER‐α) has been identified and characterized. This 46 kDa isoform (hERα46) lacks the N‐terminal 173 amino acids present in the previously characterized 66 kDa isoform (hERα66). hERα46 is encoded by a new class of hER‐α transcript that lacks the first coding exon (exon 1A) of the ER‐α gene. We demonstrated that these Δ1A hER‐α transcripts originate from the E and F hER‐α promoters and are produced by the splicing of exon 1E directly to exon 2. Functional analysis of hERα46 showed that, in a cell context sensitive to the transactivation function AF‐2, this receptor is an effective ligand‐inducible transcription factor. In contrast, hERα46 is a powerful inhibitor of hERα66 in a cell context where the transactivating function of AF‐1 predominates over AF‐2. The mechanisms by which the AF‐1 dominant‐negative action is exerted may involve heterodimeri zation of the two receptor isoforms and/or direct competition for the ER‐α DNA‐binding site. hERα66/hERα46 ratios change with the cell growth status of the breast carcinoma cell line MCF7, suggesting a role of hERα46 in cellular proliferation.

To better understand yeast ribosome synthesis, we developed techniques for the rapid harvesting and analysis of metabolically labeled cultures. Modeling of the resulting kinetic data allowed predicted lifetimes and processing patterns to be compared with the experimental data. This supported a transcription time for the 35S primary transcripts of approximately 170 s at 30 degrees C (approximately 40 nt s(-1)), with a high fraction (approximately 70%) of nascent transcripts cleaved at the early processing sites that generate the 20S precursor to the 18S rRNA. This level of nascent transcript cleavage apparently conflicted with previous reports that modification of yeast pre-rRNA exclusively occurred on released transcripts. A second round of high-resolution kinetic labeling showed that 20S pre-rRNA predominately undergoes methylation as nascent transcripts, whereas the 27S precursor to the 25S/5.8S rRNAs was partially methylated on the nascent transcript. The results demonstrate that quantitative analyses of pre-rRNA processing can yield important biological insights.

Several pathways modulating longevity and stress resistance converge on translation by targeting ribosomal proteins or initiation factors, but whether this involves modifications of ribosomal RNA is unclear. Here, we show that reduced levels of the conserved RNA methyltransferase NSUN5 increase the lifespan and stress resistance in yeast, worms and flies. Rcm1, the yeast homologue of NSUN5, methylates C2278 within a conserved region of 25S rRNA. Loss of Rcm1 alters the structural conformation of the ribosome in close proximity to C2278, as well as translational fidelity, and favours recruitment of a distinct subset of oxidative stress-responsive mRNAs into polysomes. Thus, rather than merely being a static molecular machine executing translation, the ribosome exhibits functional diversity by modification of just a single rRNA nucleotide, resulting in an alteration of organismal physiological behaviour, and linking rRNA-mediated translational regulation to modulation of lifespan, and differential stress response.

Ribosome biogenesis is a complex and energy-demanding process requiring tight coordination of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal protein (RP) production. Given the extremely high level of RP synthesis in rapidly growing cells, alteration of any step in the ribosome assembly process may impact growth by leading to proteotoxic stress. Although the transcription factor Hsf1 has emerged as a central regulator of proteostasis, how its activity is coordinated with ribosome biogenesis is unknown. Here, we show that arrest of ribosome biogenesis in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae triggers rapid activation of a highly specific stress pathway that coordinately upregulates Hsf1 target genes and downregulates RP genes. Activation of Hsf1 target genes requires neo-synthesis of RPs, which accumulate in an insoluble fraction and presumably titrate a negative regulator of Hsf1, the Hsp70 chaperone. RP aggregation is also coincident with that of the RP gene activator Ifh1, a transcription factor that is rapidly released from RP gene promoters. Our data support a model in which the levels of newly synthetized RPs, imported into the nucleus but not yet assembled into ribosomes, work to continuously balance Hsf1 and Ifh1 activity, thus guarding against proteotoxic stress during ribosome assembly.