ZC3H11A interacts with PABPN1 and alters polyadenylation of viral transcripts

Nuclear mRNA metabolism is regulated by multiple proteins, which either directly bind to RNA or form multi-protein complexes. The RNA-binding protein ZC3H11A is involved in nuclear mRNA export, and NF-κB signaling and is essential during mouse embryo development. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that ZC3H11A is important for nuclear-replicating viruses. However, detailed biochemical characterization of the ZC3H11A protein has been lacking. In this study, we established the ZC3H11A protein interactome in human and mouse cells. We demonstrate that the nuclear poly(A)-binding protein PABPN1 interacts specifically with the ZC3H11A protein and controls ZC3H11A localization into nuclear speckles. We report that ZC3H11A specifically interacts with the human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-5) capsid mRNA in a PABPN1-dependent manner. Notably, ZC3H11A uses the same zinc finger motifs to interact with PABPN1 and mRNA, with a single zinc finger motif responsible for these functions. Further, we demonstrate that the lack of ZC3H11A alters the polyadenylation of HAdV-5 capsid mRNA. Taken together, our results suggest that the ZC3H11A protein acts as a novel regulator of polyadenylation of nuclear mRNA.