Abstract
T-cell intracellular antigen 1 (TIA1) is an RNA-binding protein that is primarily involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of cellular RNAs. Furthermore, it is a key component of stress granules (SGs), RNA, and protein aggregates that are formed in response to stressful stimuli to reduce cellular activity as a survival mechanism. TIA1 p.E384K mutation is the genetic cause of Welander distal myopathy (WDM), a late-onset muscular dystrophy whose pathogenesis has been related to modifying SG dynamics. In this study, we present the results obtained by analyzing two specific aspects: (i) SGs properties and dynamics depending on the amino acid at position 384 of TIA1; and (ii) the formation/disassembly time-course of TIA1WT/WDM-dependent SGs under oxidative stress. The generation of TIA1 variants-in which the amino acid mutated in WDM and the adjacent ones were replaced by lysines, glutamic acids, or alanines-allowed us to verify that the inclusion of a single lysine is necessary and sufficient to alter SGs dynamics. Moreover, time-lapse microscopy analysis allowed us to establish in vivo the dynamics of TIA1WT/WDM-dependent SG formation and disassembly, after the elimination of the oxidizing agent, for 1 and 3 h, respectively. Our observations show distinct dynamics between the formation and disassembly of TIA1WT/WDM-dependent SGs. Taken together, this study has allowed us to expand the existing knowledge on the role of TIA1 and the WDM mutation in SG formation.