Expression of the Neuronal tRNA n-Tr20 Regulates Synaptic Transmission and Seizure Susceptibility.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-14-2020

Keywords

JGM, JMG, JAXCC

JAX Source

Neuron 2020 Oct 14; 108(1):193-208.e9

Volume

108

Issue

1

First Page

193

Last Page

208

ISSN

1097-4199

PMID

32853550

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.023

Abstract

The mammalian genome has hundreds of nuclear-encoded tRNAs, but the contribution of individual tRNA genes to cellular and organismal function remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that mutations in a neuronally enriched arginine tRNA, n-Tr20, increased seizure threshold and altered synaptic transmission. n-Tr20 expression also modulated seizures caused by an epilepsy-linked mutation in Gabrg2, a gene encoding a GABAA receptor subunit. Loss of n-Tr20 altered translation initiation by activating the integrated stress response and suppressing mTOR signaling, the latter of which may contribute to altered neurotransmission in mutant mice. Deletion of a highly expressed isoleucine tRNA similarly altered these signaling pathways in the brain, suggesting that regulation of translation initiation is a conserved response to tRNA loss. Our data indicate that loss of a single member of a tRNA family results in multiple cellular phenotypes, highlighting the disease-causing potential of tRNA mutations.

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