PUS10-induced tRNA fragmentation impacts retrotransposon-driven inflammation

PMID: 40402745
Source: Cell Rep
Publication date: 2025-07-24
Year: 2025

Abstract

Pseudouridine synthases (PUSs) catalyze the isomerization of uridine (U)-to-pseudouridine (Psi) and have emerging roles in development and disease. How PUSs adapt gene expression under stress remains mostly unexplored. We identify an unconventional role for the Psi "writer" PUS10 impacting intracellular innate immunity. Using Pus10 knockout mice, we uncover cell-intrinsic upregulation of interferon (IFN) signaling, conferring resistance to inflammation in vivo. Pus10 loss alters tRNA-derived small RNAs (tdRs) abundance, perturbing translation and endogenous retroelements expression. These alterations promote proinflammatory RNA-DNA hybrids accumulation, potentially activating cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene (STING). Supplementation with selected tdR pools partly rescues these effects through interactions with RNA processing factors that modulate immune responses, revealing a regulatory circuit that counteracts cell-intrinsic inflammation. By extension, we define a PUS10-specific molecular fingerprint linking its dysregulation to human autoimmune disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases. Collectively, these findings establish PUS10 as a viral mimicry modulator, with broad implications for innate immune homeostasis and autoimmunity.