Abstract
The mammalian TOB1 and TOB2 proteins have emerged as key players in repressing cell proliferation. Accumulating evidence indicates that TOBs regulate mRNA deadenylation. A recruitment model was proposed in which TOBs promote deadenylation by recruiting CAF1-CCR4 deadenylase complex to the 3' end of mRNAs by simultaneously binding CAF1 and PABP. However, the exact molecular mechanism underlying TOB-promoted deadenylation remains unclear. It is also unclear whether TOBs' antiproliferative and deadenylation-promoting activities are connected. Here, we combine biochemical analyses with a functional assay directly monitoring deadenylation and mRNA decay to characterize the effects of tethering TOBs or their mutant derivatives to mRNAs. The results provide direct evidence supporting the recruitment model and reveal a link between TOBs' antiproliferative and deadenylation-promoting activities. We also find that TOBs' actions in deadenylation are independent of the phosphorylation state of three serines known to regulate antiproliferative actions, suggesting that TOBs arrest cell growth through at least two different mechanisms. TOB1 and TOB2 were interchangeable in the properties tested here, indicating considerable functional redundancy between the two proteins. We propose that their multiple modes of modulating mRNA turnover and arresting cell growth permit the TOB proteins to coordinate their diverse roles in controlling cell growth and differentiation.