1
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Olthof AM, Schwoerer CF, Girardini KN, Weber AL, Doggett K, Mieruszynski S, Heath JK, Moore TE, Biran J, Kanadia RN. Taxonomy of introns and the evolution of minor introns. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae550. [PMID: 38943346 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Classification of introns, which is crucial to understanding their evolution and splicing, has historically been binary and has resulted in the naming of major and minor introns that are spliced by their namesake spliceosome. However, a broad range of intron consensus sequences exist, leading us to here reclassify introns as minor, minor-like, hybrid, major-like, major and non-canonical introns in 263 species across six eukaryotic supergroups. Through intron orthology analysis, we discovered that minor-like introns are a transitory node for intron conversion across evolution. Despite close resemblance of their consensus sequences to minor introns, these introns possess an AG dinucleotide at the -1 and -2 position of the 5' splice site, a salient feature of major introns. Through combined analysis of CoLa-seq, CLIP-seq for major and minor spliceosome components, and RNAseq from samples in which the minor spliceosome is inhibited we found that minor-like introns are also an intermediate class from a splicing mechanism perspective. Importantly, this analysis has provided insight into the sequence elements that have evolved to make minor-like introns amenable to recognition by both minor and major spliceosome components. We hope that this revised intron classification provides a new framework to study intron evolution and splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk M Olthof
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Charles F Schwoerer
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kaitlin N Girardini
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Audrey L Weber
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Karen Doggett
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen Mieruszynski
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Joan K Heath
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Timothy E Moore
- Statistical Consulting Services, Center for Open Research Resources & Equipment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jakob Biran
- Department of Poultry and Aquaculture, Institute of Animal Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeTsiyon, Israel
| | - Rahul N Kanadia
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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2
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Nishimura K, Saika W, Inoue D. Minor introns impact on hematopoietic malignancies. Exp Hematol 2024; 132:104173. [PMID: 38309573 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2024.104173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
In the intricate orchestration of the central dogma, pre-mRNA splicing plays a crucial role in the post-transcriptional process that transforms DNA into mature mRNA. Widely acknowledged as a pivotal RNA processing step, it significantly influences gene expression and alters the functionality of gene product proteins. Although U2-dependent spliceosomes efficiently manage the removal of over 99% of introns, a distinct subset of essential genes undergo splicing with a different intron type, denoted as minor introns, using U12-dependent spliceosomes. Mutations in spliceosome component genes are now recognized as prevalent genetic abnormalities in cancer patients, especially those with hematologic malignancies. Despite the relative rarity of minor introns, genes containing them are evolutionarily conserved and play crucial roles in functions such as the RAS-MAPK pathway. Disruptions in U12-type minor intron splicing caused by mutations in snRNA or its regulatory components significantly contribute to cancer progression. Notably, recurrent mutations associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in the minor spliceosome component ZRSR2 underscore its significance. Examination of ZRSR2-mutated MDS cells has revealed that only a subset of minor spliceosome-dependent genes, such as LZTR1, consistently exhibit missplicing. Recent technological advancements have uncovered insights into minor introns, raising inquiries beyond current understanding. This review comprehensively explores the importance of minor intron regulation, the molecular implications of minor (U12-type) spliceosomal mutations and cis-regulatory regions, and the evolutionary progress of studies on minor, aiming to provide a sophisticated understanding of their intricate role in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koutarou Nishimura
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
| | - Wataru Saika
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan; Department of Hematology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Daichi Inoue
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
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3
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Bai R, Yuan M, Zhang P, Luo T, Shi Y, Wan R. Structural basis of U12-type intron engagement by the fully assembled human minor spliceosome. Science 2024; 383:1245-1252. [PMID: 38484052 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The minor spliceosome, which is responsible for the splicing of U12-type introns, comprises five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), of which only one is shared with the major spliceosome. In this work, we report the 3.3-angstrom cryo-electron microscopy structure of the fully assembled human minor spliceosome pre-B complex. The atomic model includes U11 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), U12 snRNP, and U4atac/U6atac.U5 tri-snRNP. U11 snRNA is recognized by five U11-specific proteins (20K, 25K, 35K, 48K, and 59K) and the heptameric Sm ring. The 3' half of the 5'-splice site forms a duplex with U11 snRNA; the 5' half is recognized by U11-35K, U11-48K, and U11 snRNA. Two proteins, CENATAC and DIM2/TXNL4B, specifically associate with the minor tri-snRNP. A structural analysis uncovered how two conformationally similar tri-snRNPs are differentiated by the minor and major prespliceosomes for assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Bai
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pu Zhang
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ting Luo
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yigong Shi
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruixue Wan
- Research Center for Industries of the Future, Key Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
- Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
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4
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Wuchty S, White AK, Olthof AM, Drake K, Hume AJ, Olejnik J, Aguiar-Pulido V, Mühlberger E, Kanadia RN. Minor intron-containing genes as an ancient backbone for viral infection? PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgad479. [PMID: 38274120 PMCID: PMC10810330 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Minor intron-containing genes (MIGs) account for <2% of all human protein-coding genes and are uniquely dependent on the minor spliceosome for proper excision. Despite their low numbers, we surprisingly found a significant enrichment of MIG-encoded proteins (MIG-Ps) in protein-protein interactomes and host factors of positive-sense RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, MERS coronavirus, and Zika virus. Similarly, we observed a significant enrichment of MIG-Ps in the interactomes and sets of host factors of negative-sense RNA viruses such as Ebola virus, influenza A virus, and the retrovirus HIV-1. We also found an enrichment of MIG-Ps in double-stranded DNA viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, and herpes simplex viruses. In general, MIG-Ps were highly connected and placed in central positions in a network of human-host protein interactions. Moreover, MIG-Ps that interact with viral proteins were enriched with essential genes. We also provide evidence that viral proteins interact with ancestral MIGs that date back to unicellular organisms and are mainly involved in basic cellular functions such as cell cycle, cell division, and signal transduction. Our results suggest that MIG-Ps form a stable, evolutionarily conserved backbone that viruses putatively tap to invade and propagate in human host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Wuchty
- Department of Computer Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- Institute of Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33134, USA
| | - Alisa K White
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Anouk M Olthof
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Kyle Drake
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Adam J Hume
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Judith Olejnik
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | - Elke Mühlberger
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Rahul N Kanadia
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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5
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Martins DJ, Di Lazzaro Filho R, Bertola DR, Hoch NC. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, a disorder far from solved. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2023; 4:1296409. [PMID: 38021400 PMCID: PMC10676203 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1296409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a range of clinical symptoms, including poikiloderma, juvenile cataracts, short stature, sparse hair, eyebrows/eyelashes, nail dysplasia, and skeletal abnormalities. While classically associated with mutations in the RECQL4 gene, which encodes a DNA helicase involved in DNA replication and repair, three additional genes have been recently identified in RTS: ANAPC1, encoding a subunit of the APC/C complex; DNA2, which encodes a nuclease/helicase involved in DNA repair; and CRIPT, encoding a poorly characterized protein implicated in excitatory synapse formation and splicing. Here, we review the clinical spectrum of RTS patients, analyze the genetic basis of the disease, and discuss molecular functions of the affected genes, drawing some novel genotype-phenotype correlations and proposing avenues for future studies into this enigmatic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davi Jardim Martins
- Genomic Stability Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Di Lazzaro Filho
- Center for Human Genome Studies, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Dasa Genômica/Genera, Genômica, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Romeo Bertola
- Center for Human Genome Studies, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Genetics Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Children’s Institute, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nícolas Carlos Hoch
- Genomic Stability Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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6
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Larue GE, Roy SW. Where the minor things are: a pan-eukaryotic survey suggests neutral processes may explain much of minor intron evolution. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:10884-10908. [PMID: 37819006 PMCID: PMC10639083 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Spliceosomal introns are gene segments removed from RNA transcripts by ribonucleoprotein machineries called spliceosomes. In some eukaryotes a second 'minor' spliceosome is responsible for processing a tiny minority of introns. Despite its seemingly modest role, minor splicing has persisted for roughly 1.5 billion years of eukaryotic evolution. Identifying minor introns in over 3000 eukaryotic genomes, we report diverse evolutionary histories including surprisingly high numbers in some fungi and green algae, repeated loss, as well as general biases in their positional and genic distributions. We estimate that ancestral minor intron densities were comparable to those of vertebrates, suggesting a trend of long-term stasis. Finally, three findings suggest a major role for neutral processes in minor intron evolution. First, highly similar patterns of minor and major intron evolution contrast with both functionalist and deleterious model predictions. Second, observed functional biases among minor intron-containing genes are largely explained by these genes' greater ages. Third, no association of intron splicing with cell proliferation in a minor intron-rich fungus suggests that regulatory roles are lineage-specific and thus cannot offer a general explanation for minor splicing's persistence. These data constitute the most comprehensive view of minor introns and their evolutionary history to date, and provide a foundation for future studies of these remarkable genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham E Larue
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Scott W Roy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
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7
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Wang M, Liang AM, Zhou ZZ, Pang TL, Fan YJ, Xu YZ. Deletions of singular U1 snRNA gene significantly interfere with transcription and 3'-end mRNA formation. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011021. [PMID: 37917726 PMCID: PMC10645366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are structural and functional cores of the spliceosome. In metazoan genomes, each snRNA has multiple copies/variants, up to hundreds in mammals. However, the expressions and functions of each copy/variant in one organism have not been systematically studied. Focus on U1 snRNA genes, we investigated all five copies in Drosophila melanogaster using two series of constructed strains. Analyses of transgenic flies that each have a U1 promoter-driven gfp revealed that U1:21D is the major and ubiquitously expressed copy, and the other four copies have specificities in developmental stages and tissues. Mutant strains that each have a precisely deleted copy of U1-gene exhibited various extents of defects in fly morphology or mobility, especially deletion of U1:82Eb. Interestingly, splicing was changed at limited levels in the deletion strains, while large amounts of differentially-expressed genes and alternative polyadenylation events were identified, showing preferences in the down-regulation of genes with 1-2 introns and selection of proximal sites for 3'-end polyadenylation. In vitro assays suggested that Drosophila U1 variants pulled down fewer SmD2 proteins compared to the canonical U1. This study demonstrates that all five U1-genes in Drosophila have physiological functions in development and play regulatory roles in transcription and 3'-end formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shanghai, China, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, China
- Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, Shanghai, China
| | - An-Min Liang
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Zhou
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, China
| | - Ting-Lin Pang
- Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shanghai, China, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fan
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Xu
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Hubei, China
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8
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Girardini KN, Olthof AM, Kanadia RN. Introns: the "dark matter" of the eukaryotic genome. Front Genet 2023; 14:1150212. [PMID: 37260773 PMCID: PMC10228655 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1150212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of introns was a significant evolutionary leap that is a major distinguishing feature between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. While historically introns were regarded merely as the sequences that are removed to produce spliced transcripts encoding functional products, increasingly data suggests that introns play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. Here, we use an intron-centric lens to review the role of introns in eukaryotic gene expression. First, we focus on intron architecture and how it may influence mechanisms of splicing. Second, we focus on the implications of spliceosomal snRNAs and their variants on intron splicing. Finally, we discuss how the presence of introns and the need to splice them influences transcription regulation. Despite the abundance of introns in the eukaryotic genome and their emerging role regulating gene expression, a lot remains unexplored. Therefore, here we refer to introns as the "dark matter" of the eukaryotic genome and discuss some of the outstanding questions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin N. Girardini
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Anouk M. Olthof
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rahul N. Kanadia
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
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9
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Vosseberg J, Stolker D, von der Dunk SHA, Snel B. Integrating Phylogenetics With Intron Positions Illuminates the Origin of the Complex Spliceosome. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:6985000. [PMID: 36631250 PMCID: PMC9887622 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genes are characterized by the presence of introns that are removed from pre-mRNA by a spliceosome. This ribonucleoprotein complex is comprised of multiple RNA molecules and over a hundred proteins, which makes it one of the most complex molecular machines that originated during the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition. Previous works have established that these introns and the spliceosomal core originated from self-splicing introns in prokaryotes. Yet, how the spliceosomal core expanded by recruiting many additional proteins remains largely elusive. In this study, we use phylogenetic analyses to infer the evolutionary history of 145 proteins that we could trace back to the spliceosome in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. We found that an overabundance of proteins derived from ribosome-related processes was added to the prokaryote-derived core. Extensive duplications of these proteins substantially increased the complexity of the emerging spliceosome. By comparing the intron positions between spliceosomal paralogs, we infer that most spliceosomal complexity postdates the spread of introns through the proto-eukaryotic genome. The reconstruction of early spliceosomal evolution provides insight into the driving forces behind the emergence of complexes with many proteins during eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Vosseberg
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands,Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 EH Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Daan Stolker
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Samuel H A von der Dunk
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
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10
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Ding Z, Meng YR, Fan YJ, Xu YZ. Roles of minor spliceosome in intron recognition and the convergence with the better understood major spliceosome. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1761. [PMID: 36056453 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Catalyzed by spliceosomes in the nucleus, RNA splicing removes intronic sequences from precursor RNAs in eukaryotes to generate mature RNA, which also significantly increases proteome complexity and fine-tunes gene expression. Most metazoans have two coexisting spliceosomes; the major spliceosome, which removes >99.5% of introns, and the minor spliceosome, which removes far fewer introns (only 770 at present have been predicted in the human genome). Both spliceosomes are large and dynamic machineries, each consisting of five small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and more than 100 proteins. However, the dynamic assembly, catalysis, and protein composition of the minor spliceosome are still poorly understood. With different splicing signals, minor introns are rare and usually distributed alone and flanked by major introns in genes, raising questions of how they are recognized by the minor spliceosome and how their processing deals with the splicing of neighboring major introns. Due to large numbers of introns and close similarities between the two machinery, cooperative, and competitive recognition by the two spliceosomes has been investigated. Functionally, many minor-intron-containing genes are evolutionarily conserved and essential. Mutations in the minor spliceosome exhibit a variety of developmental defects in plants and animals and are linked to numerous human diseases. Here, we review recent progress in the understanding of minor splicing, compare currently known components of the two spliceosomes, survey minor introns in a wide range of organisms, discuss cooperation and competition of the two spliceosomes in splicing of minor-intron-containing genes, and contributions of minor splicing mutations in development and diseases. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Ding
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Ran Meng
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fan
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Xu
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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11
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Tholen J, Galej WP. Structural studies of the spliceosome: Bridging the gaps. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 77:102461. [PMID: 36116369 PMCID: PMC9762485 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The spliceosome is a multi-megadalton RNA-protein complex responsible for the removal of non-coding introns from pre-mRNAs. Due to its complexity and dynamic nature, it has proven to be a very challenging target for structural studies. Developments in single particle cryo-EM have overcome these previous limitations and paved the way towards a structural characterisation of the splicing machinery. Despite tremendous progress, many aspects of spliceosome structure and function remain elusive. In particular, the events leading to the definition of exon-intron boundaries, alternative and non-canonical splicing events, and cross-talk with other cellular machineries. Efforts are being made to address these knowledge gaps and further our mechanistic understanding of the spliceosome. Here, we summarise recent progress in the structural and functional analysis of the spliceosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Tholen
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France. https://twitter.com/@Structjon
| | - W P Galej
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38042 Grenoble, France.
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12
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Iturrate A, Rivera-Barahona A, Flores CL, Otaify GA, Elhossini R, Perez-Sanz ML, Nevado J, Tenorio-Castano J, Triviño JC, Garcia-Gonzalo FR, Piceci-Sparascio F, De Luca A, Martínez L, Kalaycı T, Lapunzina P, Altunoglu U, Aglan M, Abdalla E, Ruiz-Perez VL. Mutations in SCNM1 cause orofaciodigital syndrome due to minor intron splicing defects affecting primary cilia. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1828-1849. [PMID: 36084634 PMCID: PMC9606384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Orofaciodigital syndrome (OFD) is a genetically heterogeneous ciliopathy characterized by anomalies of the oral cavity, face, and digits. We describe individuals with OFD from three unrelated families having bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in SCNM1 as the cause of their condition. SCNM1 encodes a protein recently shown to be a component of the human minor spliceosome. However, so far the effect of loss of SCNM1 function on human cells had not been assessed. Using a comparative transcriptome analysis between fibroblasts derived from an OFD-affected individual harboring SCNM1 mutations and control fibroblasts, we identified a set of genes with defective minor intron (U12) processing in the fibroblasts of the affected subject. These results were reproduced in SCNM1 knockout hTERT RPE-1 (RPE-1) cells engineered by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated editing and in SCNM1 siRNA-treated RPE-1 cultures. Notably, expression of TMEM107 and FAM92A encoding primary cilia and basal body proteins, respectively, and that of DERL2, ZC3H8, and C17orf75, were severely reduced in SCNM1-deficient cells. Primary fibroblasts containing SCNM1 mutations, as well as SCNM1 knockout and SCNM1 knockdown RPE-1 cells, were also found with abnormally elongated cilia. Conversely, cilia length and expression of SCNM1-regulated genes were restored in SCNM1-deficient fibroblasts following reintroduction of SCNM1 via retroviral delivery. Additionally, functional analysis in SCNM1-retrotransduced fibroblasts showed that SCNM1 is a positive mediator of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. Our findings demonstrate that defective U12 intron splicing can lead to a typical ciliopathy such as OFD and reveal that primary cilia length and Hh signaling are regulated by the minor spliceosome through SCNM1 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Iturrate
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Rivera-Barahona
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen-Lisset Flores
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ghada A. Otaify
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics and Genome Research, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha Elhossini
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics and Genome Research, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Marina L. Perez-Sanz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Nevado
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, ITHACA-ERN, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jair Tenorio-Castano
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, ITHACA-ERN, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Francesc R. Garcia-Gonzalo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Área de Cáncer y Genética Molecular Humana, Instituto de Investigaciones del Hospital Universitario La Paz, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesca Piceci-Sparascio
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy,Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro De Luca
- Medical Genetics Division, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Leopoldo Martínez
- Departamento de Cirugía Pediátrica. Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, ITHACA-ERN, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tugba Kalaycı
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul 34093, Turkey
| | - Pablo Lapunzina
- CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, ITHACA-ERN, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Umut Altunoglu
- Medical Genetics Department, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Mona Aglan
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics and Genome Research, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ebtesam Abdalla
- Department of Human Genetics, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt,Genetics Department, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Victor L. Ruiz-Perez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas "Alberto Sols," Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28029 Madrid, Spain,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain,Instituto de Genética Médica y Molecular (INGEMM), Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, ITHACA-ERN, 28046 Madrid, Spain,Corresponding author
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13
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Weinstein R, Bishop K, Broadbridge E, Yu K, Carrington B, Elkahloun A, Zhen T, Pei W, Burgess SM, Liu P, Bresciani E, Sood R. Zrsr2 Is Essential for the Embryonic Development and Splicing of Minor Introns in RNA and Protein Processing Genes in Zebrafish. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10668. [PMID: 36142581 PMCID: PMC9501576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
ZRSR2 (zinc finger CCCH-type, RNA binding motif and serine/arginine rich 2) is an essential splicing factor involved in 3' splice-site recognition as a component of both the major and minor spliceosomes that mediate the splicing of U2-type (major) and U12-type (minor) introns, respectively. Studies of ZRSR2-depleted cell lines and ZRSR2-mutated patient samples revealed its essential role in the U12-dependent minor spliceosome. However, the role of ZRSR2 during embryonic development is not clear, as its function is compensated for by Zrsr1 in mice. Here, we utilized the zebrafish model to investigate the role of zrsr2 during embryonic development. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated a zrsr2-knockout zebrafish line, termed zrsr2hg129/hg129 (p.Trp167Argfs*9) and examined embryo development in the homozygous mutant embryos. zrsr2hg129/hg129 embryos displayed multiple developmental defects starting at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) and died after 8 dpf, suggesting that proper Zrsr2 function is required during embryonic development. The global transcriptome analysis of 3 dpf zrsr2hg129/hg129 embryos revealed that the loss of Zrsr2 results in the downregulation of essential metabolic pathways and the aberrant retention of minor introns in about one-third of all minor intron-containing genes in zebrafish. Overall, our study has demonstrated that the role of Zrsr2 as a component of the minor spliceosome is conserved and critical for proper embryonic development in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Weinstein
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth Broadbridge
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kai Yu
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Blake Carrington
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Abdel Elkahloun
- Microarray Core, Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tao Zhen
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Wuhong Pei
- Developmental Genomics Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shawn M. Burgess
- Developmental Genomics Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paul Liu
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Erica Bresciani
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Raman Sood
- Zebrafish Core, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Oncogenesis and Development Section, Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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14
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Nishimura K, Yamazaki H, Zang W, Inoue D. Dysregulated minor intron splicing in cancer. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:2934-2942. [PMID: 35766428 PMCID: PMC9459249 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre‐mRNA splicing is now widely recognized as a cotranscriptional and post‐transcriptional mechanism essential for regulating gene expression and modifying gene product function. Mutations in genes encoding core spliceosomal proteins and accessory regulatory splicing factors are now considered among the most recurrent genetic abnormalities in patients with cancer, particularly hematologic malignancies. These include mutations in the major (U2‐type) and minor (U12‐type) spliceosomes, which remove >99% and ~0.35% of introns, respectively. Growing evidence indicates that aberrant splicing of evolutionarily conserved U12‐type minor introns plays a crucial role in cancer as the minor spliceosome component, ZRSR2, is subject to recurrent, leukemia‐associated mutations, and intronic mutations have been shown to disrupt the splicing of minor introns. Here, we review the importance of minor intron regulation, the molecular effects of the minor (U12‐type) spliceosomal mutations and cis‐regulatory regions, and the development of minor intron studies for better understanding of cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koutarou Nishimura
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiromi Yamazaki
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Weijia Zang
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daichi Inoue
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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15
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Azambuja M, Orane Schemberger M, Nogaroto V, Moreira-Filho O, Martins C, Ricardo Vicari M. Major and minor U small nuclear RNAs genes characterization in a neotropical fish genome: Chromosomal remodeling and repeat units dispersion in Parodontidae. Gene 2022; 826:146459. [PMID: 35358649 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In association with many proteins, small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) organize the spliceosomes that play a significant role in processing precursor mRNAs during gene expression. According to snRNAs genic arrangements, two kinds of spliceosomes (major and minor) can be organized into eukaryotic cells. Although in situ localization of U1 and U2 snDNAs have been performed in fish karyotypes, studies with genomic characterization and functionality of U snRNAs integrated into chromosomal changes on Teleostei are still scarce. This study aimed to achieve a genomic characterization of the U snRNAs genes in Apareiodon sp. (2n = 54, ZZ/ZW), apply these data to recognize functional/defective copies, and map chromosomal changes involving snDNAs in Parodontidae species karyotype diversification. Nine snRNA multigene families (U1, U2, U4, U5, U6, U11, U12, U4atac and U6atac) arranged in putatively functional copies in the genome were analyzed. Proximal Sequence Elements (PSE) and TATA-box promoters occurrence, besides an entire transcribed region and conserved secondary structures, qualify them for spliceosome activity. In addition, several defective copies or pseudogenes were identified for the snRNAs that make up the major spliceosome. In situ localization of snDNAs in five species of Parodontidae demonstrated that U1, U2, and U4 snDNAs were involved in chromosomal location changes or units dispersion. The U snRNAs defective/pseudogenes units dispersion could be favored by the probable occurrence of active retrotransposition enzymes in the Apareiodon genome. The U2 and U4 snDNAs sites were involved in independent events in the differentiation of sex chromosomes among Parodontidae lineages. The study characterized U snRNA genes that compose major and minor spliceosomes in the Apareiodon sp. genome and proposes that their defective copies trigger chromosome differentiation and diversification events in Parodontidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus Azambuja
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Michelle Orane Schemberger
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Viviane Nogaroto
- Departamento de Biologia Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Orlando Moreira-Filho
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, Km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Cesar Martins
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Distrito de Rubião Júnior, s/n, 18618-689 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo Ricardo Vicari
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Avenida Coronel Francisco H. dos Santos, 100, 81531-990 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia Estrutural, Molecular e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, Av. Carlos Cavalcanti, 4748, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil.
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16
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Stanley RF, Abdel-Wahab O. Dysregulation and therapeutic targeting of RNA splicing in cancer. NATURE CANCER 2022; 3:536-546. [PMID: 35624337 PMCID: PMC9551392 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-022-00384-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing and functional characterization of the cancer transcriptome have uncovered cancer-specific dysregulation of RNA splicing across a variety of cancers. Alterations in the cancer genome and dysregulation of RNA splicing factors lead to missplicing, splicing alteration-dependent gene expression and, in some cases, generation of novel splicing-derived proteins. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of aberrant splicing in cancer pathogenesis and present strategies to harness cancer-specific aberrant splicing for therapeutic intent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Stanley
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Omar Abdel-Wahab
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program and Leukemia Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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17
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Liu W, Teodorescu P, Halene S, Ghiaur G. The Coming of Age of Preclinical Models of MDS. Front Oncol 2022; 12:815037. [PMID: 35372085 PMCID: PMC8966105 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.815037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal bone-marrow diseases with ineffective hematopoiesis resulting in cytopenias and morphologic dysplasia of hematopoietic cells. MDS carry a wide spectrum of genetic abnormalities, ranging from chromosomal abnormalities such as deletions/additions, to recurrent mutations affecting the spliceosome, epigenetic modifiers, or transcription factors. As opposed to AML, research in MDS has been hindered by the lack of preclinical models that faithfully replicate the complexity of the disease and capture the heterogeneity. The complex molecular landscape of the disease poses a unique challenge when creating transgenic mouse-models. In addition, primary MDS cells are difficult to manipulate ex vivo limiting in vitro studies and resulting in a paucity of cell lines and patient derived xenograft models. In recent years, progress has been made in the development of both transgenic and xenograft murine models advancing our understanding of individual contributors to MDS pathology as well as the complex primary interplay of genetic and microenvironment aberrations. We here present a comprehensive review of these transgenic and xenograft models for MDS and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Section of Hematology, Yale Cancer Center and Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Patric Teodorescu
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Stephanie Halene
- Section of Hematology, Yale Cancer Center and Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Gabriel Ghiaur
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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18
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Jacquier V, Prévot M, Gostan T, Bordonné R, Benkhelifa-Ziyyat S, Barkats M, Soret J. Splicing efficiency of minor introns in a mouse model of SMA predominantly depends on their branchpoint sequence and can involve the contribution of major spliceosome components. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 28:303-319. [PMID: 34893560 PMCID: PMC8848931 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078329.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease caused by reduced amounts of the ubiquitously expressed Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN) protein. In agreement with its crucial role in the biogenesis of spliceosomal snRNPs, SMN-deficiency is correlated to numerous splicing alterations in patient cells and various tissues of SMA mouse models. Among the snRNPs whose assembly is impacted by SMN-deficiency, those involved in the minor spliceosome are particularly affected. Importantly, splicing of several, but not all U12-dependent introns has been shown to be affected in different SMA models. Here, we have investigated the molecular determinants of this differential splicing in spinal cords from SMA mice. We show that the branchpoint sequence (BPS) is a key element controlling splicing efficiency of minor introns. Unexpectedly, splicing of several minor introns with suboptimal BPS is not affected in SMA mice. Using in vitro splicing experiments and oligonucleotides targeting minor or major snRNAs, we show for the first time that splicing of these introns involves both the minor and major machineries. Our results strongly suggest that splicing of a subset of minor introns is not affected in SMA mice because components of the major spliceosome compensate for the loss of minor splicing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Jacquier
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier 34293, France
| | - Manon Prévot
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier 34293, France
| | - Thierry Gostan
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier 34293, France
| | - Rémy Bordonné
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier 34293, France
| | - Sofia Benkhelifa-Ziyyat
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Martine Barkats
- Centre de Recherche en Myologie (CRM), Institut de Myologie, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Inserm UMRS974, GH Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris 75013, France
| | - Johann Soret
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier 34293, France
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19
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Gómez-Redondo I, Pericuesta E, Navarrete-Lopez P, Ramos-Ibeas P, Planells B, Fonseca-Balvís N, Vaquero-Rey A, Fernández-González R, Laguna-Barraza R, Horiuchi K, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Zrsr2 and functional U12-dependent spliceosome are necessary for follicular development. iScience 2022; 25:103860. [PMID: 35198906 PMCID: PMC8850803 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ZRSR2 is a splicing factor involved in recognition of 3'-intron splice sites that is frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies and several tumors; however, the role of mutations of Zrsr2 in other tissues has not been analyzed. To explore the biological role of ZRSR2, we generated three Zrsr2 mutant mouse lines. All Zrsr2 mutant lines exhibited blood cell anomalies, and in two lines, oogenesis was blocked at the secondary follicle stage. RNA-seq of Zrsr2 mu secondary follicles showed aberrations in gene expression and showed altered alternative splicing (AS) events involving enrichment of U12-type intron retention (IR), supporting the functional Zrsr2 action in minor spliceosomes. IR events were preferentially associated with centriole replication, protein phosphorylation, and DNA damage checkpoint. Notably, we found alterations in AS events of 50 meiotic genes. These results indicate that ZRSR2 mutations alter splicing mainly in U12-type introns, which may affect peripheral blood cells, and impede oogenesis and female fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Gómez-Redondo
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Navarrete-Lopez
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Fonseca-Balvís
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aida Vaquero-Rey
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Fernández-González
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Laguna-Barraza
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Keiko Horiuchi
- Department of Protein-Protein Interaction Research, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School, 1-396 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-8533, Japan
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA-CSIC, Avda. Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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20
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Suzuki T, Shinagawa T, Niwa T, Akeda H, Hashimoto S, Tanaka H, Hiroaki Y, Yamasaki F, Mishima H, Kawai T, Higashiyama T, Nakamura K. The DROL1 subunit of U5 snRNP in the spliceosome is specifically required to splice AT-AC-type introns in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:633-648. [PMID: 34780096 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An Arabidopsis mutant named defective repression of OLE3::LUC 1 (drol1) was originally isolated as a mutant with defects in the repression of OLEOSIN3 (OLE3) after seed germination. In this study, we show that DROL1 is an Arabidopsis homolog of yeast DIB1, a subunit of the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) in the spliceosome. It is also part of a new subfamily that is specific to a certain class of eukaryotes. Comprehensive analysis of the intron splicing using RNA sequencing analysis of the drol1 mutants revealed that most of the minor introns with AT-AC dinucleotide termini had reduced levels of splicing. Only two nucleotide substitutions from AT-AC to GT-AG enabled AT-AC-type introns to be spliced in drol1 mutants. Forty-eight genes, including those having important roles in abiotic stress responses and cell proliferation, exhibited reduced splicing of AT-AC-type introns in the drol1 mutants. Additionally, drol1 mutant seedlings showed retarded growth, similar to that caused by the activation of abscisic acid signaling, possibly as a result of reduced AT-AC-type intron splicing in the endosomal Na+ /H+ antiporters and plant-specific histone deacetylases. These results indicate that DROL1 is specifically involved in the splicing of minor introns with AT-AC termini and that this plays an important role in plant growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takamasa Suzuki
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Tomomi Shinagawa
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoko Niwa
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Hibiki Akeda
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Satoki Hashimoto
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Hideki Tanaka
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Yoko Hiroaki
- Cellular and Structural Physiology Institute (CeSPI), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Fumiya Yamasaki
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mishima
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Tsutae Kawai
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Higashiyama
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kenzo Nakamura
- Department of Biological Chemistry, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan
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21
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Borao S, Ayté J, Hümmer S. Evolution of the Early Spliceosomal Complex-From Constitutive to Regulated Splicing. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212444. [PMID: 34830325 PMCID: PMC8624252 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is a major process in the regulated expression of genes in eukaryotes, and alternative splicing is used to generate different proteins from the same coding gene. Splicing is a catalytic process that removes introns and ligates exons to create the RNA sequence that codifies the final protein. While this is achieved in an autocatalytic process in ancestral group II introns in prokaryotes, the spliceosome has evolved during eukaryogenesis to assist in this process and to finally provide the opportunity for intron-specific splicing. In the early stage of splicing, the RNA 5' and 3' splice sites must be brought within proximity to correctly assemble the active spliceosome and perform the excision and ligation reactions. The assembly of this first complex, termed E-complex, is currently the least understood process. We focused in this review on the formation of the E-complex and compared its composition and function in three different organisms. We highlight the common ancestral mechanisms in S. cerevisiae, S. pombe, and mammals and conclude with a unifying model for intron definition in constitutive and regulated co-transcriptional splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Borao
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - José Ayté
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence: (J.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Stefan Hümmer
- Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
- Translational Molecular Pathology, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), CIBERONC, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.A.); (S.H.)
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22
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White AK, Baumgartner M, Lee MF, Drake KD, Aquino GS, Kanadia RN. Trp53 ablation fails to prevent microcephaly in mouse pallium with impaired minor intron splicing. Development 2021; 148:272517. [PMID: 34557915 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Minor spliceosome inhibition due to mutations in RNU4ATAC are linked to primary microcephaly. Ablation of Rnu11, which encodes a minor spliceosome snRNA, inhibits the minor spliceosome in the developing mouse pallium, causing microcephaly. There, cell cycle defects and p53-mediated apoptosis in response to DNA damage resulted in loss of radial glial cells (RGCs), underpinning microcephaly. Here, we ablated Trp53 to block cell death in Rnu11 cKO mice. We report that Trp53 ablation failed to prevent microcephaly in these double knockout (dKO) mice. We show that the transcriptome of the dKO pallium was more similar to the control compared with the Rnu11 cKO. We find aberrant minor intron splicing in minor intron-containing genes involved in cell cycle regulation, resulting in more severely impaired mitotic progression and cell cycle lengthening of RGCs in the dKO that was detected earlier than in the Rnu11 cKO. Furthermore, we discover a potential role of p53 in causing DNA damage in the developing pallium, as detection of γH2aX+ was delayed in the dKO. Thus, we postulate that microcephaly in minor spliceosome-related diseases is primarily caused by cell cycle defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa K White
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | | | - Madisen F Lee
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Kyle D Drake
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Gabriela S Aquino
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Rahul N Kanadia
- Physiology and Neurobiology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.,Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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23
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Field-theoretic density estimation for biological sequence space with applications to 5' splice site diversity and aneuploidy in cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025782118. [PMID: 34599093 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025782118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Density estimation in sequence space is a fundamental problem in machine learning that is also of great importance in computational biology. Due to the discrete nature and large dimensionality of sequence space, how best to estimate such probability distributions from a sample of observed sequences remains unclear. One common strategy for addressing this problem is to estimate the probability distribution using maximum entropy (i.e., calculating point estimates for some set of correlations based on the observed sequences and predicting the probability distribution that is as uniform as possible while still matching these point estimates). Building on recent advances in Bayesian field-theoretic density estimation, we present a generalization of this maximum entropy approach that provides greater expressivity in regions of sequence space where data are plentiful while still maintaining a conservative maximum entropy character in regions of sequence space where data are sparse or absent. In particular, we define a family of priors for probability distributions over sequence space with a single hyperparameter that controls the expected magnitude of higher-order correlations. This family of priors then results in a corresponding one-dimensional family of maximum a posteriori estimates that interpolate smoothly between the maximum entropy estimate and the observed sample frequencies. To demonstrate the power of this method, we use it to explore the high-dimensional geometry of the distribution of 5' splice sites found in the human genome and to understand patterns of chromosomal abnormalities across human cancers.
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24
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Abstract
Herculean efforts by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Human Genome Research Institute to sequence thousands of tumors representing all major cancer types have yielded more than 700 genes that contribute to neoplastic growth when mutated, amplified, or deleted. While some of these genes (now included in the COSMIC Cancer Gene Census) encode proteins previously identified in hypothesis-driven experiments (oncogenic transcription factors, protein kinases, etc.), additional classes of cancer drivers have emerged, perhaps none more surprisingly than RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Over 40 RBPs responsible for virtually all aspects of RNA metabolism, from synthesis to degradation, are recurrently mutated in cancer, and just over a dozen are considered major cancer drivers. This Review investigates whether and how their RNA-binding activities pertain to their oncogenic functions. Focusing on several well-characterized steps in RNA metabolism, we demonstrate that for virtually all cancer-driving RBPs, RNA processing activities are either abolished (the loss-of-function phenotype) or carried out with low fidelity (the LoFi phenotype). Conceptually, this suggests that in normal cells, RBPs act as gatekeepers maintaining proper RNA metabolism and the "balanced" proteome. From the practical standpoint, at least some LoFi phenotypes create therapeutic vulnerabilities, which are beginning to be exploited in the clinic.
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25
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Akinyi MV, Frilander MJ. At the Intersection of Major and Minor Spliceosomes: Crosstalk Mechanisms and Their Impact on Gene Expression. Front Genet 2021; 12:700744. [PMID: 34354740 PMCID: PMC8329584 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.700744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many eukaryotic species contain two separate molecular machineries for removing non-coding intron sequences from pre-mRNA molecules. The majority of introns (more than 99.5% in humans) are recognized and excised by the major spliceosome, which utilizes relatively poorly conserved sequence elements at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the intron that are used for intron recognition and in subsequent catalysis. In contrast, the minor spliceosome targets a rare group of introns (approximately 0.5% in humans) with highly conserved sequences at the 5′ and 3′ ends of the intron. Minor introns coexist in the same genes with major introns and while the two intron types are spliced by separate spliceosomes, the two splicing machineries can interact with one another to shape mRNA processing events in genes containing minor introns. Here, we review known cooperative and competitive interactions between the two spliceosomes and discuss the mechanistic basis of the spliceosome crosstalk, its regulatory significance, and impact on spliceosome diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen V Akinyi
- Institute of Biotechnology/Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko J Frilander
- Institute of Biotechnology/Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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26
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de Wolf B, Oghabian A, Akinyi MV, Hanks S, Tromer EC, van Hooff JJE, van Voorthuijsen L, van Rooijen LE, Verbeeren J, Uijttewaal ECH, Baltissen MPA, Yost S, Piloquet P, Vermeulen M, Snel B, Isidor B, Rahman N, Frilander MJ, Kops GJPL. Chromosomal instability by mutations in the novel minor spliceosome component CENATAC. EMBO J 2021; 40:e106536. [PMID: 34009673 PMCID: PMC8280824 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is the leading cause of miscarriage and congenital birth defects, and a hallmark of cancer. Despite this strong association with human disease, the genetic causes of aneuploidy remain largely unknown. Through exome sequencing of patients with constitutional mosaic aneuploidy, we identified biallelic truncating mutations in CENATAC (CCDC84). We show that CENATAC is a novel component of the minor (U12-dependent) spliceosome that promotes splicing of a specific, rare minor intron subtype. This subtype is characterized by AT-AN splice sites and relatively high basal levels of intron retention. CENATAC depletion or expression of disease mutants resulted in excessive retention of AT-AN minor introns in ˜ 100 genes enriched for nucleocytoplasmic transport and cell cycle regulators, and caused chromosome segregation errors. Our findings reveal selectivity in minor intron splicing and suggest a link between minor spliceosome defects and constitutional aneuploidy in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas de Wolf
- Oncode InstituteHubrecht Institute ‐ Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Ali Oghabian
- Institute of BiotechnologyHelsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Present address:
Faculty of MedicineResearch Programs UnitUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Maureen V Akinyi
- Institute of BiotechnologyHelsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Sandra Hanks
- Division of Genetics and EpidemiologyInstitute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Eelco C Tromer
- Oncode InstituteHubrecht Institute ‐ Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, BiologyScience FacultyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jolien J E van Hooff
- Oncode InstituteHubrecht Institute ‐ Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, BiologyScience FacultyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Present address:
Unité d'EcologieSystématique et EvolutionCNRSUniversité Paris‐SudUniversité Paris‐SaclayAgroParisTechOrsayFrance
| | - Lisa van Voorthuijsen
- Oncode InstituteDepartment of Molecular BiologyFaculty of ScienceRadboud Institute for Molecular Life ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Laura E van Rooijen
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, BiologyScience FacultyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Jens Verbeeren
- Institute of BiotechnologyHelsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Esther C H Uijttewaal
- Oncode InstituteHubrecht Institute ‐ Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Marijke P A Baltissen
- Oncode InstituteDepartment of Molecular BiologyFaculty of ScienceRadboud Institute for Molecular Life ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Shawn Yost
- Division of Genetics and EpidemiologyInstitute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Philippe Piloquet
- Service de Génétique MédicaleUnité de génétique CliniqueCHU Hotel DieuNantes CedexFrance
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Oncode InstituteDepartment of Molecular BiologyFaculty of ScienceRadboud Institute for Molecular Life ScienceRadboud University NijmegenNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Berend Snel
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, BiologyScience FacultyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Bertrand Isidor
- Service de Génétique MédicaleUnité de génétique CliniqueCHU Hotel DieuNantes CedexFrance
| | - Nazneen Rahman
- Division of Genetics and EpidemiologyInstitute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Mikko J Frilander
- Institute of BiotechnologyHelsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Geert J P L Kops
- Oncode InstituteHubrecht Institute ‐ Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Centre UtrechtUtrechtThe Netherlands
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27
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Yang H, Beutler B, Zhang D. Emerging roles of spliceosome in cancer and immunity. Protein Cell 2021; 13:559-579. [PMID: 34196950 PMCID: PMC9232692 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-021-00856-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is catalyzed by an intricate ribonucleoprotein complex called the spliceosome. Although the spliceosome is considered to be general cell “housekeeping” machinery, mutations in core components of the spliceosome frequently correlate with cell- or tissue-specific phenotypes and diseases. In this review, we expound the links between spliceosome mutations, aberrant splicing, and human cancers. Remarkably, spliceosome-targeted therapies (STTs) have become efficient anti-cancer strategies for cancer patients with splicing defects. We also highlight the links between spliceosome and immune signaling. Recent studies have shown that some spliceosome gene mutations can result in immune dysregulation and notable phenotypes due to mis-splicing of immune-related genes. Furthermore, several core spliceosome components harbor splicing-independent immune functions within the cell, expanding the functional repertoire of these diverse proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Key laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Bruce Beutler
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Duanwu Zhang
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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28
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Minor Intron Splicing from Basic Science to Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116062. [PMID: 34199764 PMCID: PMC8199999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step in gene expression and is catalyzed by two machineries in eukaryotes: the major (U2 type) and minor (U12 type) spliceosomes. While the majority of introns in humans are U2 type, less than 0.4% are U12 type, also known as minor introns (mi-INTs), and require a specialized spliceosome composed of U11, U12, U4atac, U5, and U6atac snRNPs. The high evolutionary conservation and apparent splicing inefficiency of U12 introns have set them apart from their major counterparts and led to speculations on the purpose for their existence. However, recent studies challenged the simple concept of mi-INTs splicing inefficiency due to low abundance of their spliceosome and confirmed their regulatory role in alternative splicing, significantly impacting the expression of their host genes. Additionally, a growing list of minor spliceosome-associated diseases with tissue-specific pathologies affirmed the importance of minor splicing as a key regulatory pathway, which when deregulated could lead to tissue-specific pathologies due to specific alterations in the expression of some minor-intron-containing genes. Consequently, uncovering how mi-INTs splicing is regulated in a tissue-specific manner would allow for better understanding of disease pathogenesis and pave the way for novel therapies, which we highlight in this review.
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29
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Larue GE, Eliáš M, Roy SW. Expansion and transformation of the minor spliceosomal system in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3125-3131.e4. [PMID: 34015249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Spliceosomal introns interrupt nuclear genes and are removed from RNA transcripts ("spliced") by machinery called spliceosomes. Although the vast majority of spliceosomal introns are removed by the so-called major (or "U2") spliceosome, diverse eukaryotes also contain a rare second form, the minor ("U12") spliceosome, and associated ("U12-type") introns.1-3 In all characterized species, U12-type introns are distinguished by several features, including being rare in the genome (∼0.5% of all introns),4-6 containing extended evolutionarily conserved splicing motifs,4,5,7,8 being generally ancient,9,10 and being inefficiently spliced.11-13 Here, we report a remarkable exception in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. The P. polycephalum genome contains >20,000 U12-type introns-25 times more than any other species-enriched in a diversity of non-canonical splice boundaries as well as transformed splicing signals that appear to have co-evolved with the spliceosome due to massive gain of efficiently spliced U12-type introns. These results reveal an unappreciated dynamism of minor spliceosomal introns and spliceosomal introns in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham E Larue
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA.
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Scott W Roy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA; Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
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30
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Inoue D, Polaski JT, Taylor J, Castel P, Chen S, Kobayashi S, Hogg SJ, Hayashi Y, Pineda JMB, El Marabti E, Erickson C, Knorr K, Fukumoto M, Yamazaki H, Tanaka A, Fukui C, Lu SX, Durham BH, Liu B, Wang E, Mehta S, Zakheim D, Garippa R, Penson A, Chew GL, McCormick F, Bradley RK, Abdel-Wahab O. Minor intron retention drives clonal hematopoietic disorders and diverse cancer predisposition. Nat Genet 2021; 53:707-718. [PMID: 33846634 PMCID: PMC8177065 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00828-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most eukaryotes harbor two distinct pre-mRNA splicing machineries: the major spliceosome, which removes >99% of introns, and the minor spliceosome, which removes rare, evolutionarily conserved introns. Although hypothesized to serve important regulatory functions, physiologic roles of the minor spliceosome are not well understood. For example, the minor spliceosome component ZRSR2 is subject to recurrent, leukemia-associated mutations, yet functional connections among minor introns, hematopoiesis and cancers are unclear. Here, we identify that impaired minor intron excision via ZRSR2 loss enhances hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal. CRISPR screens mimicking nonsense-mediated decay of minor intron-containing mRNA species converged on LZTR1, a regulator of RAS-related GTPases. LZTR1 minor intron retention was also discovered in the RASopathy Noonan syndrome, due to intronic mutations disrupting splicing and diverse solid tumors. These data uncover minor intron recognition as a regulator of hematopoiesis, noncoding mutations within minor introns as potential cancer drivers and links among ZRSR2 mutations, LZTR1 regulation and leukemias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daichi Inoue
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacob T Polaski
- Public Health Sciences and Basic Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Justin Taylor
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Pau Castel
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sisi Chen
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susumu Kobayashi
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
- Division of Cellular Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Simon J Hogg
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yasutaka Hayashi
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Jose Mario Bello Pineda
- Public Health Sciences and Basic Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ettaib El Marabti
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline Erickson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Knorr
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miki Fukumoto
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hiromi Yamazaki
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Atsushi Tanaka
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Chie Fukui
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe, Kobe, Japan
| | - Sydney X Lu
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin H Durham
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bo Liu
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric Wang
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sanjoy Mehta
- Gene Editing & Screening Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Zakheim
- Gene Editing & Screening Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ralph Garippa
- Gene Editing & Screening Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alex Penson
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guo-Liang Chew
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Frank McCormick
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Bradley
- Public Health Sciences and Basic Sciences Divisions, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Omar Abdel-Wahab
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan KetterAbsolute numbers of live mature hematopoietic cellsing Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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31
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Natua S, Ashok C, Shukla S. Hypoxia-induced alternative splicing in human diseases: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:2729-2747. [PMID: 33386889 PMCID: PMC11072330 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Maintenance of oxygen homeostasis is an indispensable criterion for the existence of multicellular life-forms. Disruption of this homeostasis due to inadequate oxygenation of the respiring tissues leads to pathological hypoxia, which acts as a significant stressor in several pathophysiological conditions including cancer, cardiovascular defects, bacterial infections, and neurological disorders. Consequently, the hypoxic tissues develop necessary adaptations both at the tissue and cellular level. The cellular adaptations involve a dramatic alteration in gene expression, post-transcriptional and post-translational modification of gene products, bioenergetics, and metabolism. Among the key responses to oxygen-deprivation is the skewing of cellular alternative splicing program. Herein, we discuss the current concepts of oxygen tension-dependent alternative splicing relevant to various pathophysiological conditions. Following a brief description of cellular response to hypoxia and the pre-mRNA splicing mechanism, we outline the impressive number of hypoxia-elicited alternative splicing events associated with maladies like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, we discuss how manipulation of hypoxia-induced alternative splicing may pose promising strategies for novel translational diagnosis and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhashis Natua
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Cheemala Ashok
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Sanjeev Shukla
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, 462066, Madhya Pradesh, India.
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32
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Bai R, Wan R, Wang L, Xu K, Zhang Q, Lei J, Shi Y. Structure of the activated human minor spliceosome. Science 2021; 371:science.abg0879. [PMID: 33509932 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg0879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The minor spliceosome mediates splicing of the rare but essential U12-type precursor messenger RNA. Here, we report the atomic features of the activated human minor spliceosome determined by cryo-electron microscopy at 2.9-angstrom resolution. The 5' splice site and branch point sequence of the U12-type intron are recognized by the U6atac and U12 small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), respectively. Five newly identified proteins stabilize the conformation of the catalytic center: The zinc finger protein SCNM1 functionally mimics the SF3a complex of the major spliceosome, the RBM48-ARMC7 complex binds the γ-monomethyl phosphate cap at the 5' end of U6atac snRNA, the U-box protein PPIL2 coordinates loop I of U5 snRNA and stabilizes U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), and CRIPT stabilizes U12 snRNP. Our study provides a framework for the mechanistic understanding of the function of the human minor spliceosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.,Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ruixue Wan
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.,Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kui Xu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiangfeng Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianlin Lei
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.,Technology Center for Protein Sciences, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yigong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China. .,Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.,Institute of Biology, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Xihu District, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang Province, China.,Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology and Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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33
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Adami R, Bottai D. Spinal Muscular Atrophy Modeling and Treatment Advances by Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Studies. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2020; 15:795-813. [PMID: 31863335 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-019-09910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by specific and predominantly lower motor neuron (MN) loss. SMA is the main reason for infant death, while about one in 40 children born is a healthy carrier. SMA is caused by decreased levels of production of a ubiquitously expressed gene: the survival motor neuron (SMN). All SMA patients present mutations of the telomeric SMN1 gene, but many copies of a centromeric, partially functional paralog gene, SMN2, can somewhat compensate for the SMN1 deficiency, scaling inversely with phenotypic harshness. Because the study of neural tissue in and from patients presents too many challenges and is very often not feasible; the use of animal models, such as the mouse, had a pivotal impact in our understanding of SMA pathology but could not portray totally satisfactorily the elaborate regulatory mechanisms that are present in higher animals, particularly in humans. And while recent therapeutic achievements have been substantial, especially for very young infants, some issues should be considered for the treatment of older patients. An alternative way to study SMA, and other neurological pathologies, is the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients. In this work, we will present a wide analysis of the uses of iPSCs in SMA pathology, starting from basic science to their possible roles as therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Adami
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Bottai
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, via A. di Rudinì 8, 20142, Milan, Italy.
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34
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Moyer DC, Larue GE, Hershberger CE, Roy SW, Padgett RA. Comprehensive database and evolutionary dynamics of U12-type introns. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:7066-7078. [PMID: 32484558 PMCID: PMC7367187 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During nuclear maturation of most eukaryotic pre-messenger RNAs and long non-coding RNAs, introns are removed through the process of RNA splicing. Different classes of introns are excised by the U2-type or the U12-type spliceosomes, large complexes of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles and associated proteins. We created intronIC, a program for assigning intron class to all introns in a given genome, and used it on 24 eukaryotic genomes to create the Intron Annotation and Orthology Database (IAOD). We then used the data in the IAOD to revisit several hypotheses concerning the evolution of the two classes of spliceosomal introns, finding support for the class conversion model explaining the low abundance of U12-type introns in modern genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devlin C Moyer
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and Department of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Graham E Larue
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Courtney E Hershberger
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and Department of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Scott W Roy
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Richard A Padgett
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic and Department of Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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35
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Osman EY, Van Alstyne M, Yen PF, Lotti F, Feng Z, Ling KK, Ko CP, Pellizzoni L, Lorson CL. Minor snRNA gene delivery improves the loss of proprioceptive synapses on SMA motor neurons. JCI Insight 2020; 5:130574. [PMID: 32516136 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.130574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by reduced expression of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMN has key functions in multiple RNA pathways, including the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins that are essential components of both major (U2-dependent) and minor (U12-dependent) spliceosomes. Here we investigated the specific contribution of U12 splicing dysfunction to SMA pathology through selective restoration of this RNA pathway in mouse models of varying phenotypic severity. We show that virus-mediated delivery of minor snRNA genes specifically improves select U12 splicing defects induced by SMN deficiency in cultured mammalian cells, as well as in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia of SMA mice without increasing SMN expression. This approach resulted in a moderate amelioration of several parameters of the disease phenotype in SMA mice, including survival, weight gain, and motor function. Importantly, minor snRNA gene delivery improved aberrant splicing of the U12 intron-containing gene Stasimon and rescued the severe loss of proprioceptive sensory synapses on SMA motor neurons, which are early signatures of motor circuit dysfunction in mouse models. Taken together, these findings establish the direct contribution of U12 splicing dysfunction to synaptic deafferentation and motor circuit pathology in SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Y Osman
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Meaghan Van Alstyne
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pei-Fen Yen
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Francesco Lotti
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zhihua Feng
- Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Karen Ky Ling
- Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Chien-Ping Ko
- Section of Neurobiology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Livio Pellizzoni
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christian L Lorson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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36
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Gómez-Redondo I, Ramos-Ibeas P, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Laguna-Barraza R, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Minor Splicing Factors Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 Are Essential for Early Embryo Development and 2-Cell-Like Conversion. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4115. [PMID: 32527007 PMCID: PMC7312986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Minor splicing plays an important role in vertebrate development. Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 paralog genes have essential roles in alternative splicing, mainly participating in the recognition of minor (U12) introns. To further explore their roles during early embryo development, we produced Zrsr1mu and Zrsr2mu mutant mice, containing truncating mutations within the second zinc finger domain. Both homozygous mutant mice were viable with a normal lifespan. When we crossed a homozygous Zrsr2mu/mu female with Zrsr1mu/mu male, the double heterozygotes were non-viable, giving rise to embryos that stopped developing mainly between the 2- and 4-cell stages, just after zygotic gene activation. RNA-seq analysis of Zrsr1/2mu 2-cell embryos showed altered gene and isoform expression of thousands of genes enriched in gene ontology terms and biological pathways related to ribosome, RNA transport, spliceosome, and essential zygotic gene activation steps. Alternative splicing was analyzed, showing a significant increase in intron retention in both U2 and U12 intron-containing genes related to cell cycle and mitotic nuclear division. Remarkably, both Zrsr1 and Zrsr2 were required for the conversion of mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells into 2C-like cells. According to our results, Zrsr1 or Zrsr2 are necessary for ZGA and both are indispensable for the conversion of induced pluripotent stem cells into 2C-like cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Departamento de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda. Puerta de Hierro n° 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (I.G.-R.); (P.R.-I.); (E.P.); (R.F.-G.); (R.L.-B.)
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37
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Baumgartner M, Drake K, Kanadia RN. An Integrated Model of Minor Intron Emergence and Conservation. Front Genet 2019; 10:1113. [PMID: 31798628 PMCID: PMC6865273 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Minor introns constitute <0.5% of the introns in the human genome and have remained an enigma since their discovery. These introns are removed by a distinct splicing complex, the minor spliceosome. Both are ancient, tracing back to the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), which is reflected by minor intron enrichment in specific gene families, such as the mitogen activated-protein kinase kinases, voltage-gated sodium and calcium ion channels, and E2F transcription factors. Most minor introns occur as single introns in genes with predominantly major introns. Due to this organization, minor intron-containing gene (MIG) expression requires the coordinated action of two spliceosomes, which increases the probability of missplicing. Thus, one would expect loss of minor introns via purifying selection. This has resulted in complete minor intron loss in at least nine eukaryotic lineages. However, minor introns are highly conserved in land plants and metazoans, where their importance is underscored by embryonic lethality when the minor spliceosome is inactivated. Conditional inactivation of the minor spliceosome has shown that rapidly dividing progenitor cells are highly sensitive to minor spliceosome loss. Indeed, we found that MIGs were significantly enriched in a screen for genes essential for survival in 341 cycling cell lines. Here, we propose that minor introns inserted randomly into genes in LECA or earlier and were subsequently conserved in genes crucial for cycling cell survival. We hypothesize that the essentiality of MIGs allowed minor introns to endure through the unicellularity of early eukaryotic evolution. Moreover, we identified 59 MIGs that emerged after LECA, and that many of these are essential for cycling cell survival, reinforcing our essentiality model for MIG conservation. This suggests that minor intron emergence is dynamic across eukaryotic evolution, and that minor introns should not be viewed as molecular fossils. We also posit that minor intron splicing was co-opted in multicellular evolution as a regulatory switch for en masse control of MIG expression and the biological processes they regulate. Specifically, this mode of regulation could control cell proliferation and thus body size, an idea supported by domestication syndrome, wherein MIGs are enriched in common candidate animal domestication genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marybeth Baumgartner
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States.,Institute of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
| | - Kyle Drake
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
| | - Rahul N Kanadia
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States.,Institute of Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, United States
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38
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Horiuchi K, Perez-Cerezales S, Papasaikas P, Ramos-Ibeas P, López-Cardona AP, Laguna-Barraza R, Fonseca Balvís N, Pericuesta E, Fernández-González R, Planells B, Viera A, Suja JA, Ross PJ, Alén F, Orio L, Rodriguez de Fonseca F, Pintado B, Valcárcel J, Gutiérrez-Adán A. Impaired Spermatogenesis, Muscle, and Erythrocyte Function in U12 Intron Splicing-Defective Zrsr1 Mutant Mice. Cell Rep 2019; 23:143-155. [PMID: 29617656 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The U2AF35-like ZRSR1 has been implicated in the recognition of 3' splice site during spliceosome assembly, but ZRSR1 knockout mice do not show abnormal phenotypes. To analyze ZRSR1 function and its precise role in RNA splicing, we generated ZRSR1 mutant mice containing truncating mutations within its RNA-recognition motif. Homozygous mutant mice exhibited severe defects in erythrocytes, muscle stretch, and spermatogenesis, along with germ cell sloughing and apoptosis, ultimately leading to azoospermia and male sterility. Testis RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses revealed increased intron retention of both U2- and U12-type introns, including U12-type intron events in genes with key functions in spermatogenesis and spermatid development. Affected U2 introns were commonly found flanking U12 introns, suggesting functional cross-talk between the two spliceosomes. The splicing and tissue defects observed in mutant mice attributed to ZRSR1 loss of function suggest a physiological role for this factor in U12 intron splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Horiuchi
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Quantitative Biology and Medicine, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Serafín Perez-Cerezales
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Panagiotis Papasaikas
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Priscila Ramos-Ibeas
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ricardo Laguna-Barraza
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Noelia Fonseca Balvís
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Pericuesta
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raul Fernández-González
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Benjamín Planells
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Viera
- Unidad de Biología Celular, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Angel Suja
- Unidad de Biología Celular, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Juan Ross
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Francisco Alén
- Dpto. Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UCM, Campus de Somosaguas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Orio
- Dpto. Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UCM, Campus de Somosaguas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodriguez de Fonseca
- Dpto. Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UCM, Campus de Somosaguas, Madrid, Spain; UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga-Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Avda. Carlos Haya 82, Pabellón de Gobierno, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Belén Pintado
- Servicio de Transgénicos, CNB-CSIC, UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Valcárcel
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Adán
- Dpto. de Reproducción Animal, INIA, Avda Puerta de Hierro nº 12. Local 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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39
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Cologne A, Benoit-Pilven C, Besson A, Putoux A, Campan-Fournier A, Bober MB, De Die-Smulders CEM, Paulussen ADC, Pinson L, Toutain A, Roifman CM, Leutenegger AL, Mazoyer S, Edery P, Lacroix V. New insights into minor splicing-a transcriptomic analysis of cells derived from TALS patients. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 25:1130-1149. [PMID: 31175170 PMCID: PMC6800510 DOI: 10.1261/rna.071423.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Minor intron splicing plays a central role in human embryonic development and survival. Indeed, biallelic mutations in RNU4ATAC, transcribed into the minor spliceosomal U4atac snRNA, are responsible for three rare autosomal recessive multimalformation disorders named Taybi-Linder (TALS/MOPD1), Roifman (RFMN), and Lowry-Wood (LWS) syndromes, which associate numerous overlapping signs of varying severity. Although RNA-seq experiments have been conducted on a few RFMN patient cells, none have been performed in TALS, and more generally no in-depth transcriptomic analysis of the ∼700 human genes containing a minor (U12-type) intron had been published as yet. We thus sequenced RNA from cells derived from five skin, three amniotic fluid, and one blood biosamples obtained from seven unrelated TALS cases and from age- and sex-matched controls. This allowed us to describe for the first time the mRNA expression and splicing profile of genes containing U12-type introns, in the context of a functional minor spliceosome. Concerning RNU4ATAC-mutated patients, we show that as expected, they display distinct U12-type intron splicing profiles compared to controls, but that rather unexpectedly mRNA expression levels are mostly unchanged. Furthermore, although U12-type intron missplicing concerns most of the expressed U12 genes, the level of U12-type intron retention is surprisingly low in fibroblasts and amniocytes, and much more pronounced in blood cells. Interestingly, we found several occurrences of introns that can be spliced using either U2, U12, or a combination of both types of splice site consensus sequences, with a shift towards splicing using preferentially U2 sites in TALS patients' cells compared to controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audric Cologne
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Clara Benoit-Pilven
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Alicia Besson
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Audrey Putoux
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Amandine Campan-Fournier
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Michael B Bober
- Division of Medical Genetics, Nemours/Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware 19803, USA
| | - Christine E M De Die-Smulders
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, GROW, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aimee D C Paulussen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, GROW, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lucile Pinson
- Genetic Department for Rare Diseases and Personalized Medicine, Clinical Division, CHU Montpellier, F-34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Annick Toutain
- Department of Genetics, Tours University Hospital, F-37000 Tours, France
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Tours University, Inserm, F-37000 Tours, France
| | - Chaim M Roifman
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Division for Immunology and Allergy, Canadian Center for Primary Immunodeficiency, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | | | - Sylvie Mazoyer
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Patrick Edery
- "Genetics of Neurodevelopment" Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Centre, UMR5292 CNRS U1028 Inserm, University of Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
- Clinical Genetics Unit, Department of Genetics, Hospices Civils de Lyon, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Vincent Lacroix
- INRIA Erable, CNRS LBBE UMR 5558, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
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Sex-Dimorphic Behavioral Alterations and Altered Neurogenesis in U12 Intron Splicing-Defective Zrsr1 Mutant Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20143543. [PMID: 31331069 PMCID: PMC6678158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutant mice with respect to the splicing factor Zrsr1 present altered spermatogenesis and infertility. To investigate whether Zrsr1 is involved in the homeostatic control that the hypothalamus exerts over reproductive functions, we first analyzed both differential gene and isoform expression and alternative splicing alterations in Zrsr1 mutant (Zrsr1mu) hypothalamus; second, we analyzed the spontaneous and social behavior of Zrsr1mu mice; and third, we analyzed adult cell proliferation and survival in the Zrsr1mu hypothalamus. The Zrsr1mu hypothalamus showed altered expression of genes and isoforms related to the glutathione metabolic process, synaptonemal complex assembly, mRNA transport, and altered splicing events involving the enrichment of U12-type intron retention (IR). Furthermore, increased IR in U12-containing genes related with the prolactin, progesterone, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) reproductive signaling pathway was observed. This was associated with a hyperactive phenotype in both males and females, with an anxious phenotype in females, and with increased social interaction in males, instead of the classical aggressive behavior. In addition, Zrsr1mu females but not males exhibited reduced cell proliferation in both the hypothalamus and the subventricular zone. Overall, these results suggest that Zrsr1 expression and function are relevant to organization of the hypothalamic cell network controlling behavior.
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Zuo Y, Feng F, Qi W, Song R. Dek42 encodes an RNA-binding protein that affects alternative pre-mRNA splicing and maize kernel development. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 61:728-748. [PMID: 30839161 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play an important role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. However, the functions of RBPs in plants remain poorly understood. Maize kernel mutant dek42 has small defective kernels and lethal seedlings. Dek42 was cloned by Mutator tag isolation and further confirmed by an independent mutant allele and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 materials. Dek42 encodes an RRM_RBM48 type RNA-binding protein that localizes to the nucleus. Dek42 is constitutively expressed in various maize tissues. The dek42 mutation caused a significant reduction in the accumulation of DEK42 protein in mutant kernels. RNA-seq analysis showed that the dek42 mutation significantly disturbed the expression of thousands of genes during maize kernel development. Sequence analysis also showed that the dek42 mutation significantly changed alternative splicing in expressed genes, which were especially enriched for the U12-type intron-retained type. Yeast two-hybrid screening identified SF3a1 as a DEK42-interacting protein. DEK42 also interacts with the spliceosome component U1-70K. These results suggested that DEK42 participates in the regulation of pre-messenger RNA splicing through its interaction with other spliceosome components. This study showed the function of a newly identified RBP and provided insights into alternative splicing regulation during maize kernel development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, National Maize Improvement Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fan Feng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, Plant Science Center, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Weiwei Qi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, Plant Science Center, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Rentao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, National Maize Improvement Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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42
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Sun Q, Wang W, Wu L, Cheng L, Tong X, Xu X. Unexpected ABCC6 mRNA splicing in a Chinese family with pseudoxanthoma elasticum. Acta Ophthalmol 2019; 97:e381-e389. [PMID: 30328268 DOI: 10.1111/aos.13819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify the clinical characteristics and pathogenic genes among a Chinese family with angioid streaks and to assess a novel splicing mutation at the transcriptional and translational levels. METHODS Consenting family members were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were collected for targeted exome capture sequencing and/or Sanger sequencing. The two affected siblings were assessed by multimodal fundus imaging. ABCC6 splicing patterns were analysed by RNA identification and quantification using the proband's peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Minigene experiments were performed to verify the university. Plasmids expressing the transcripts were transfected into HEK293 cells to assess protein translation. Bioinformatic analyses were also performed to predict the splicing patterns and the functional consequences of the mutation. RESULTS The two siblings were trans-compound heterozygous pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) patients with the same genotype (c.3703C>T and c.1177-2A>G for ABCC6) but different phenotypes. We identified several ABCC6 alternative splicing transcripts that were not previously reported. The novel splicing mutation c.1177-2A>G led to the upregulation of three transcripts, one using a cryptic splice acceptor in the upstream region of the intron, another using a cryptic splice acceptor in the downstream exon, and the third stimulating non-canonical U12-type splicing. All the transcripts were successfully translated in vitro. CONCLUSION The genotype-phenotype correlation of PXE is poorly understood. The novel ABCC6 splicing mutation c.1177-2A>G results in multiple splicing patterns. Endogenous U2 to U12 conversion may occur in humans in a disease state. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be reliably used to study ABCC6 RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Fundus Disease Shanghai China
| | - Weijun Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Fundus Disease Shanghai China
| | - Lifang Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Lu Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Fundus Disease Shanghai China
| | - Xuemei Tong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Inflammation Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Xun Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology Shanghai General Hospital Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Fundus Disease Shanghai China
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43
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Doggett K, Williams BB, Markmiller S, Geng FS, Coates J, Mieruszynski S, Ernst M, Thomas T, Heath JK. Early developmental arrest and impaired gastrointestinal homeostasis in U12-dependent splicing-defective Rnpc3-deficient mice. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1856-1870. [PMID: 30254136 PMCID: PMC6239176 DOI: 10.1261/rna.068221.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. While the majority of introns is excised by the U2-dependent, or major class, spliceosome, the appropriate expression of a very small subset of genes depends on U12-dependent, or minor class, splicing. The U11/U12 65K protein (hereafter 65K), encoded by RNPC3, is one of seven proteins that are unique to the U12-dependent spliceosome, and previous studies including our own have established that it plays a role in plant and vertebrate development. To pinpoint the impact of 65K loss during mammalian development and in adulthood, we generated germline and conditional Rnpc3-deficient mice. Homozygous Rnpc3-/- embryos died prior to blastocyst implantation, whereas Rnpc3+/- mice were born at the expected frequency, achieved sexual maturity, and exhibited a completely normal lifespan. Systemic recombination of conditional Rnpc3 alleles in adult (Rnpc3lox/lox ) mice caused rapid weight loss, leukopenia, and degeneration of the epithelial lining of the entire gastrointestinal tract, the latter due to increased cell death and a reduction in cell proliferation. Accompanying this, we observed a loss of both 65K and the pro-proliferative phospho-ERK1/2 proteins from the stem/progenitor cells at the base of intestinal crypts. RT-PCR analysis of RNA extracted from purified preparations of intestinal epithelial cells with recombined Rnpc3lox alleles revealed increased frequency of U12-type intron retention in all transcripts tested. Our study, using a novel conditional mouse model of Rnpc3 deficiency, establishes that U12-dependent splicing is not only important during development but is indispensable throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Doggett
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Ben B Williams
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Sebastian Markmiller
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Fan-Suo Geng
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Janine Coates
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen Mieruszynski
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University School of Cancer Medicine, Heidelberg, Victoria 3050, Australia
| | - Tim Thomas
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Joan K Heath
- Development and Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia
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PRP4KA, a Putative Spliceosomal Protein Kinase, Is Important for Alternative Splicing and Development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetics 2018; 210:1267-1285. [PMID: 30297453 PMCID: PMC6283158 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prp4 kinase (Prp4k) is the first spliceosome-associated kinase shown to regulate splicing in fungi and metazoans, but nothing is yet known about its functions in plants. Here, Kanno and Venhuizen et al. report... Splicing of precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs) is an essential step in the expression of most eukaryotic genes. Both constitutive splicing and alternative splicing, which produces multiple messenger RNA (mRNA) isoforms from a single primary transcript, are modulated by reversible protein phosphorylation. Although the plant splicing machinery is known to be a target for phosphorylation, the protein kinases involved remain to be fully defined. We report here the identification of pre-mRNA processing 4 (PRP4) KINASE A (PRP4KA) in a forward genetic screen based on an alternatively spliced GFP reporter gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis). Prp4 kinase is the first spliceosome-associated kinase shown to regulate splicing in fungi and mammals but it has not yet been studied in plants. In the same screen we identified mutants defective in SAC3A, a putative mRNA export factor that is highly coexpressed with PRP4KA in Arabidopsis. Whereas the sac3a mutants appear normal, the prp4ka mutants display a pleiotropic phenotype featuring atypical rosettes, late flowering, tall final stature, reduced branching, and lowered seed set. Analysis of RNA-sequencing data from prp4ka and sac3a mutants identified widespread and partially overlapping perturbations in alternative splicing in the two mutants. Quantitative phosphoproteomic profiling of a prp4ka mutant detected phosphorylation changes in several serine/arginine-rich proteins, which regulate constitutive and alternative splicing, and other splicing-related factors. Tests of PRP4KB, the paralog of PRP4KA, indicated that the two genes are not functionally redundant. The results demonstrate the importance of PRP4KA for alternative splicing and plant phenotype, and suggest that PRP4KA may influence alternative splicing patterns by phosphorylating a subset of splicing regulators.
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45
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Leighton LJ, Bredy TW. Functional Interplay between Small Non-Coding RNAs and RNA Modification in the Brain. Noncoding RNA 2018; 4:E15. [PMID: 29880782 PMCID: PMC6027130 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna4020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Small non-coding RNAs are essential for transcription, translation and gene regulation in all cell types, but are particularly important in neurons, with known roles in neurodevelopment, neuroplasticity and neurological disease. Many small non-coding RNAs are directly involved in the post-transcriptional modification of other RNA species, while others are themselves substrates for modification, or are functionally modulated by modification of their target RNAs. In this review, we explore the known and potential functions of several distinct classes of small non-coding RNAs in the mammalian brain, focusing on the newly recognised interplay between the epitranscriptome and the activity of small RNAs. We discuss the potential for this relationship to influence the spatial and temporal dynamics of gene activation in the brain, and predict that further research in the field of epitranscriptomics will identify interactions between small RNAs and RNA modifications which are essential for higher order brain functions such as learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Leighton
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- Cognitive Neuroepigenetics Laboratory, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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46
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Pieczynski M, Kruszka K, Bielewicz D, Dolata J, Szczesniak M, Karlowski W, Jarmolowski A, Szweykowska-Kulinska Z. A Role of U12 Intron in Proper Pre-mRNA Splicing of Plant Cap Binding Protein 20 Genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:475. [PMID: 29755485 PMCID: PMC5932401 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The nuclear cap-binding complex (CBC) is composed of two cap-binding proteins: CBP20 and CBP80. The CBP20 gene structure is highly conserved across land plant species. All studied CBP20 genes contain eight exons and seven introns, with the fourth intron belonging to the U12 class. This highly conserved U12 intron always divides the plant CBP20 gene into two parts: one part encodes the core domain containing the RNA binding domain (RBD), and the second part encodes the tail domain with a nuclear localization signal (NLS). In this study, we investigate the importance of the U12 intron in the Arabidopsis thaliana CBP20 gene by moving it to different intron locations of the gene. Relocation of the U12 intron resulted in a significant decrease in the U12 intron splicing efficiency and the accumulation of wrongly processed transcripts. These results suggest that moving the U12 intron to any other position of the A. thaliana CBP20 gene disturbs splicing, leading to substantial downregulation of the level of properly spliced mRNA and CBP20 protein. Moreover, the replacement of the U12 intron with a U2 intron leads to undesired alternative splicing events, indicating that the proper localization of the U12 intron in the CBP20 gene secures correct CBP20 pre-mRNA maturation and CBP20 protein levels in a plant. Surprisingly, our results also show that the efficiency of U12 splicing depends on intron length. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the importance of proper U12 intron localization in plant CBP20 genes for correct pre-mRNA processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Pieczynski
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kruszka
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Dawid Bielewicz
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jakub Dolata
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Michal Szczesniak
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Institute of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Karlowski
- Department of Computational Biology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Artur Jarmolowski
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Zofia Szweykowska-Kulinska
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poznan, Poland
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47
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Nguyen H, Das U, Wang B, Xie J. The matrices and constraints of GT/AG splice sites of more than 1000 species/lineages. Gene 2018; 660:92-101. [PMID: 29588184 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
To provide a resource for the splice sites (SS) of different species, we calculated the matrices of nucleotide compositions of about 38 million splice sites from >1000 species/lineages. The matrices are enriched of aGGTAAGT (5'SS) or (Y)6N(C/t)AG(g/a)t (3'SS) overall; however, they are quite diverse among hundreds of species. The diverse matrices remain prominent even under sequence selection pressures, suggesting the existence of diverse constraints as well as U snRNAs and other spliceosomal factors and/or their interactions with the splice sites. Using an algorithm to measure and compare the splice site constraints across all species, we demonstrate their distinct differences quantitatively. As an example of the resource's application to answering specific questions, we confirm that high constraints of particular positions are significantly associated with transcriptome-wide, increased occurrences of alternative splicing when uncommon nucleotides are present. More interestingly, the abundance of alternative splicing in 16 species correlates with the average constraint index of splice sites in a bell curve. This resource will allow users to assess specific sequences/splice sites against the consensus of every Ensembl-annotated species, and to explore the evolutionary changes or relationship to alternative splicing and transcriptome diversity. Web-search or update features are also included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Nguyen
- Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada; University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Urmi Das
- Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Benjamin Wang
- Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Jiuyong Xie
- Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada.
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48
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Jutzi D, Akinyi MV, Mechtersheimer J, Frilander MJ, Ruepp MD. The emerging role of minor intron splicing in neurological disorders. Cell Stress 2018; 2:40-54. [PMID: 31225466 PMCID: PMC6558932 DOI: 10.15698/cst2018.03.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. Mutations in cis-acting sequence elements within pre-mRNA molecules or trans-acting factors involved in pre-mRNA processing have both been linked to splicing dysfunction that give rise to a large number of human diseases. These mutations typically affect the major splicing pathway, which excises more than 99% of all introns in humans. However, approximately 700-800 human introns feature divergent intron consensus sequences at their 5' and 3' ends and are recognized by a separate pre-mRNA processing machinery denoted as the minor spliceosome. This spliceosome has been studied less than its major counterpart, but has received increasing attention during the last few years as a novel pathomechanistic player on the stage in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we review the current knowledge on minor spliceosome function and discuss its potential pathomechanistic role and impact in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Jutzi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maureen V Akinyi
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Jonas Mechtersheimer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mikko J Frilander
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Marc-David Ruepp
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.,United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute Centre, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, SE5 9NU London, UK
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49
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Zhou C, Liu S, Song W, Luo S, Meng G, Yang C, Yang H, Ma J, Wang L, Gao S, Wang J, Yang H, Zhao Y, Wang H, Zhou X. Characterization of viral RNA splicing using whole-transcriptome datasets from host species. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3273. [PMID: 29459752 PMCID: PMC5818608 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21190-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA alternative splicing (AS) is an important post-transcriptional mechanism enabling single genes to produce multiple proteins. It has been well demonstrated that viruses deploy host AS machinery for viral protein productions. However, knowledge on viral AS is limited to a few disease-causing viruses in model species. Here we report a novel approach to characterizing viral AS using whole transcriptome dataset from host species. Two insect transcriptomes (Acheta domesticus and Planococcus citri) generated in the 1,000 Insect Transcriptome Evolution (1KITE) project were used as a proof of concept using the new pipeline. Two closely related densoviruses (Acheta domesticus densovirus, AdDNV, and Planococcus citri densovirus, PcDNV, Ambidensovirus, Densovirinae, Parvoviridae) were detected and analyzed for AS patterns. The results suggested that although the two viruses shared major AS features, dramatic AS divergences were observed. Detailed analysis of the splicing junctions showed clusters of AS events occurred in two regions of the virus genome, demonstrating that transcriptome analysis could gain valuable insights into viral splicing. When applied to large-scale transcriptomics projects with diverse taxonomic sampling, our new method is expected to rapidly expand our knowledge on RNA splicing mechanisms for a wide range of viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengran Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.,BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Shanlin Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China.,Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wenhui Song
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Shiqi Luo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guanliang Meng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Chentao Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Jinmin Ma
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China
| | - Liang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical & Diagnostic Technology, CAS/Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Shan Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biomedical & Diagnostic Technology, CAS/Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Suzhou, 215163, China
| | - Jian Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Huanming Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China.,James D. Watson Institute of Genome Sciences, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China. .,China National GeneBank, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, China. .,The Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
| | - Xin Zhou
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. .,National Engineering Research Center for Fruit and Vegetable Processing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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50
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Minor spliceosome and disease. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 79:103-112. [PMID: 28965864 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The U12-dependent (minor) spliceosome excises a rare group of introns that are characterized by a highly conserved 5' splice site and branch point sequence. Several new congenital or somatic diseases have recently been associated with mutations in components of the minor spliceosome. A common theme in these diseases is the detection of elevated levels of transcripts containing U12-type introns, of which a subset is associated with other splicing defects. Here we review the present understanding of minor spliceosome diseases, particularly those associated with the specific components of the minor spliceosome. We also present a model for interpreting the molecular-level consequences of the different diseases.
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