Domains involved in TAF15 subcellular localisation: Dependence on cell type and ongoing transcription

TAF15 (TBP associated factor 15) is a member of the highly conserved TET (also known as FET) protein family of RNA binding proteins (RBP), which comprises in addition FUS (fused in sarcoma, also known as TLS, translocated in liposarcoma) and EWS (Ewing sarcoma protein). The TET proteins are implied to play important roles in the onset of specific tumours, certain forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). In this study we identified the domains of TAF15 responsible for its subcellular localisation in human (HeLa) cells and experimentally confirmed the presence of a transportin‐dependent nuclear localisation signal (NLS) at its carboxy-terminus. We demonstrated that additional domains of TAF15 contributed, albeit to a less prominent extent, to its subcellular localisation. In the carboxy-terminus we identified an arginine and glycine rich (RGG) domain, capable of being targeted to stress granules.We, moreover, showed that TAF15 cellular localisation depended on ongoing transcription and that independent domains of TAF15 engaged in nucleolar capping upon transcription inhibition. Finally, we demonstrated that TAF15 localisation was differentially regulated in the HeLa and the neuronal HT22 cell lines and that TAF15 co-localised with a minor subset of RNA granules in the cytoplasm of HT22 cells, supporting a model whereupon TAF15 plays a role in RNA transport and/or local RNA translation.

► We study TAF15 domain function with respect to TAF15 subcellular localisation.
► TAF15 transportin-dependent PY-NLS is necessary for its nuclear retention.
► Expression of the carboxy-terminal RGG repeats leads to stress granule formation.
► TAF15 cellular localisation depends on ongoing transcription.
► TAF15 associates with a subset of RNA granules in the cytoplasm of neuronal cells.