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Yang R, Wang R, Zhao D, Lian K, Shang B, Dong L, Yang X, Dang X, Sun D, Cheng Y. Integrative analysis of transcriptome-wide association study and mRNA expression profile identified risk genes for bipolar disorder. Neurosci Lett 2024; 839:137935. [PMID: 39151574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder, which is associated with genetic variation through "vast but mixed" Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS) is more effective in explaining genetic factors that influence complex diseases and can help identifying risk genes more reliably. So, this study aims to identify potential BD risk genes in pedigrees with TWAS. METHODS We conducted a TWAS analysis with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis on extended BD pedigrees, and the BD genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data acquired from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). Furthermore, the BD-associated genes identified by TWAS were validated by mRNA expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) Datasets (GSE23848 and GSE46416). Functional enrichment and annotation analysis were implemented by RStudio (version 4.2.0). RESULTS TWAS identified 362 genes with P value < 0.05, and 18 genes remain significant after Bonferroni correction, such as SEMA3G (PTWAS=1.07 × 10-11), ALOX5AP (PTWAS=3.12 × 10-8), and PLEC (PTWAS=1.27 × 10-7). Further 6 overlapped genes were detected in integrative analysis, such as UQCRB (PTWAS=0.0020, PmRNA=0.0000), TMPRSS9 (PTWAS=0.0405, PmRNA=0.0032), and SNX10 (PTWAS=0.0104, PmRNA=0.0015). Using genes identified by TWAS, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified 40 significant GO terms, such as mitochondrial ATP synthesis coupled electron transport, mitochondrial respiratory, aerobic electron transport chain, oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial membrane proteins, and ubiquinone activity. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathway enrichment analysis identified significant 15 pathways for BD, such as Oxidative phosphorylation, endocannabinoids signaling, neurodegeneration, and reactive oxide species. CONCLUSIONS We found a set of BD-associated genes and pathways, validating the important role of neurodevelopmental abnormalities, inflammatory responses, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathology of BD, offering novel information for comprehending the genetic basis of BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runxu Yang
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Prevention and Health Care, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Dongyan Zhao
- First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun Lian
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Binli Shang
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lei Dong
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xuejuan Yang
- Lincang Psychiatric Hospital, Lincang, Yunnan, China
| | - Xinglun Dang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Duo Sun
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yuqi Cheng
- Psychiatry Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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2
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Weißbach S, Milkovits J, Pastore S, Heine M, Gerber S, Todorov H. Cortexa: a comprehensive resource for studying gene expression and alternative splicing in the murine brain. BMC Bioinformatics 2024; 25:293. [PMID: 39237879 PMCID: PMC11378610 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-024-05919-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene expression and alternative splicing are strictly regulated processes that shape brain development and determine the cellular identity of differentiated neural cell populations. Despite the availability of multiple valuable datasets, many functional implications, especially those related to alternative splicing, remain poorly understood. Moreover, neuroscientists working primarily experimentally often lack the bioinformatics expertise required to process alternative splicing data and produce meaningful and interpretable results. Notably, re-analyzing publicly available datasets and integrating them with in-house data can provide substantial novel insights. However, such analyses necessitate developing harmonized data handling and processing pipelines which in turn require considerable computational resources and in-depth bioinformatics expertise. RESULTS Here, we present Cortexa-a comprehensive web portal that incorporates RNA-sequencing datasets from the mouse cerebral cortex (longitudinal or cell-specific) and the hippocampus. Cortexa facilitates understandable visualization of the expression and alternative splicing patterns of individual genes. Our platform provides SplicePCA-a tool that allows users to integrate their alternative splicing dataset and compare it to cell-specific or developmental neocortical splicing patterns. All standardized gene expression and alternative splicing datasets can be downloaded for further in-depth downstream analysis without the need for extensive preprocessing. CONCLUSIONS Cortexa provides a robust and readily available resource for unraveling the complexity of gene expression and alternative splicing regulatory processes in the mouse brain. The data portal is available at https://cortexa-rna.com/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Weißbach
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology (iDN), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jonas Milkovits
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology (iDN), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Pastore
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Martin Heine
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology (iDN), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Hristo Todorov
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
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Rastogi M, Bartolucci M, Nanni M, Aloisio M, Vozzi D, Petretto A, Contestabile A, Cancedda L. Integrative multi-omic analysis reveals conserved cell-projection deficits in human Down syndrome brains. Neuron 2024; 112:2503-2523.e10. [PMID: 38810652 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of cognitive disability. However, it is largely unclear how triplication of a small gene subset may impinge on diverse aspects of DS brain physiopathology. Here, we took a multi-omic approach and simultaneously analyzed by RNA-seq and proteomics the expression signatures of two diverse regions of human postmortem DS brains. We found that the overexpression of triplicated genes triggered global expression dysregulation, differentially affecting transcripts, miRNAs, and proteins involved in both known and novel biological candidate pathways. Among the latter, we observed an alteration in RNA splicing, specifically modulating the expression of genes involved in cytoskeleton and axonal dynamics in DS brains. Accordingly, we found an alteration in axonal polarization in neurons from DS human iPSCs and mice. Thus, our study provides an integrated multilayer expression database capable of identifying new potential targets to aid in designing future clinical interventions for DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Rastogi
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Martina Bartolucci
- Core Facilities - Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova 16147, Italy
| | - Marina Nanni
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | | | - Diego Vozzi
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16152, Italy
| | - Andrea Petretto
- Core Facilities - Clinical Proteomics and Metabolomics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova 16147, Italy
| | - Andrea Contestabile
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy.
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Brain Development and Disease Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon Institute, Rome 00185, Italy.
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4
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Moreira-Gomes T, Nóbrega C. From the disruption of RNA metabolism to the targeting of RNA-binding proteins: The case of polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias. J Neurochem 2024; 168:1442-1459. [PMID: 37990934 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias (PolyQ SCAs) represent a group of monogenetic diseases in which the expanded polyglutamine repeats give rise to a mutated protein. The abnormally expanded polyglutamine protein produces aggregates and toxic species, causing neuronal dysfunction and neuronal death. The main symptoms of these disorders include progressive ataxia, motor dysfunction, oculomotor impairment, and swallowing problems. Nowadays, the current treatments are restricted to symptomatic alleviation, and no existing therapeutic strategies can reduce or stop the disease progression. Even though the origin of these disorders has been associated with polyglutamine-induced toxicity, RNA toxicity has recently gained relevance in polyQ SCAs molecular pathogenesis. Therefore, the research's focus on RNA metabolism has been increasing, especially on RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). The present review summarizes RNA metabolism, exposing the different processes and the main RBPs involved. We also explore the mechanisms by which RBPs are dysregulated in PolyQ SCAs. Finally, possible therapies targeting the RNA metabolism are presented as strategies to reverse neuropathological anomalies and mitigate physical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Moreira-Gomes
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences, Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Clévio Nóbrega
- ABC-RI, Algarve Biomedical Center Research Institute, Faro, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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Ulicevic J, Shao Z, Jasnovidova O, Bressin A, Gajos M, Ng AH, Annaldasula S, Meierhofer D, Church GM, Busskamp V, Mayer A. Uncovering the dynamics and consequences of RNA isoform changes during neuronal differentiation. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:767-798. [PMID: 38755290 PMCID: PMC11219738 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00039-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Static gene expression programs have been extensively characterized in stem cells and mature human cells. However, the dynamics of RNA isoform changes upon cell-state-transitions during cell differentiation, the determinants and functional consequences have largely remained unclear. Here, we established an improved model for human neurogenesis in vitro that is amenable for systems-wide analyses of gene expression. Our multi-omics analysis reveals that the pronounced alterations in cell morphology correlate strongly with widespread changes in RNA isoform expression. Our approach identifies thousands of new RNA isoforms that are expressed at distinct differentiation stages. RNA isoforms mainly arise from exon skipping and the alternative usage of transcription start and polyadenylation sites during human neurogenesis. The transcript isoform changes can remodel the identity and functions of protein isoforms. Finally, our study identifies a set of RNA binding proteins as a potential determinant of differentiation stage-specific global isoform changes. This work supports the view of regulated isoform changes that underlie state-transitions during neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Ulicevic
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Zhihao Shao
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Jasnovidova
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annkatrin Bressin
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martyna Gajos
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alex Hm Ng
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Siddharth Annaldasula
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Mayer
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
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6
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Liang S, Zhou J, Yu X, Lu S, Liu R. Neuronal conversion from glia to replenish the lost neurons. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1446-1453. [PMID: 38051886 PMCID: PMC10883502 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.386400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neuronal injury, aging, and cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as cerebral infarction, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease are characterized by significant neuronal loss. Unfortunately, the neurons of most mammals including humans do not possess the ability to self-regenerate. Replenishment of lost neurons becomes an appealing therapeutic strategy to reverse the disease phenotype. Transplantation of pluripotent neural stem cells can supplement the missing neurons in the brain, but it carries the risk of causing gene mutation, tumorigenesis, severe inflammation, and obstructive hydrocephalus induced by brain edema. Conversion of neural or non-neural lineage cells into functional neurons is a promising strategy for the diseases involving neuron loss, which may overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of neural stem cell therapy. Thus far, many strategies to transform astrocytes, fibroblasts, microglia, Müller glia, NG2 cells, and other glial cells to mature and functional neurons, or for the conversion between neuronal subtypes have been developed through the regulation of transcription factors, polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1), and small chemical molecules or are based on a combination of several factors and the location in the central nervous system. However, some recent papers did not obtain expected results, and discrepancies exist. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the history of neuronal transdifferentiation, summarize the strategies for neuronal replenishment and conversion from glia, especially astrocytes, and point out that biosafety, new strategies, and the accurate origin of the truly converted neurons in vivo should be focused upon in future studies. It also arises the attention of replenishing the lost neurons from glia by gene therapies such as up-regulation of some transcription factors or down-regulation of PTBP1 or drug interference therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Liang
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Geriatric Rehabilitation, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolin Yu
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Lu
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruitian Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Chen H, Ferguson CJ, Mitchell DC, Titus A, Paulo JA, Hwang A, Lin TH, Yano H, Gu W, Song SK, Yuede CM, Gygi SP, Bonni A, Kim AH. The Hao-Fountain syndrome protein USP7 regulates neuronal connectivity in the brain via a novel p53-independent ubiquitin signaling pathway. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.24.563880. [PMID: 37961719 PMCID: PMC10634808 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.24.563880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Precise control of protein ubiquitination is essential for brain development, and hence, disruption of ubiquitin signaling networks can lead to neurological disorders. Mutations of the deubiquitinase USP7 cause the Hao-Fountain syndrome (HAFOUS), characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism, and aggressive behavior. Here, we report that conditional deletion of USP7 in excitatory neurons in the mouse forebrain triggers diverse phenotypes including sensorimotor deficits, learning and memory impairment, and aggressive behavior, resembling clinical features of HAFOUS. USP7 deletion induces neuronal apoptosis in a manner dependent of the tumor suppressor p53. However, most behavioral abnormalities in USP7 conditional mice persist despite p53 loss. Strikingly, USP7 deletion in the brain perturbs the synaptic proteome and dendritic spine morphogenesis independently of p53. Integrated proteomics analysis reveals that the neuronal USP7 interactome is enriched for proteins implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders and specifically identifies the RNA splicing factor Ppil4 as a novel neuronal substrate of USP7. Knockdown of Ppil4 in cortical neurons impairs dendritic spine morphogenesis, phenocopying the effect of USP7 loss on dendritic spines. These findings reveal a novel USP7-Ppil4 ubiquitin signaling link that regulates neuronal connectivity in the developing brain, with implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of HAFOUS and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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8
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Zhuravskaya A, Yap K, Hamid F, Makeyev EV. Alternative splicing coupled to nonsense-mediated decay coordinates downregulation of non-neuronal genes in developing mouse neurons. Genome Biol 2024; 25:162. [PMID: 38902825 PMCID: PMC11188260 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03305-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The functional coupling between alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) and the mRNA quality control mechanism called nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) can modulate transcript abundance. Previous studies have identified several examples of such a regulation in developing neurons. However, the systems-level effects of AS-NMD in this context are poorly understood. RESULTS We developed an R package, factR2, which offers a comprehensive suite of AS-NMD analysis functions. Using this tool, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of gene expression in pluripotent stem cells undergoing induced neuronal differentiation. Our analysis uncovers hundreds of AS-NMD events with significant potential to regulate gene expression. Notably, this regulation is significantly overrepresented in specific functional groups of developmentally downregulated genes. Particularly strong association with gene downregulation is detected for alternative cassette exons stimulating NMD upon their inclusion into mature mRNA. By combining bioinformatic analyses with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and other experimental approaches we show that NMD-stimulating cassette exons regulated by the RNA-binding protein PTBP1 dampen the expression of their genes in developing neurons. We also provided evidence that the inclusion of NMD-stimulating cassette exons into mature mRNAs is temporally coordinated with NMD-independent gene repression mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides an accessible workflow for the discovery and prioritization of AS-NMD targets. It further argues that the AS-NMD pathway plays a widespread role in developing neurons by facilitating the downregulation of functionally related non-neuronal genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Zhuravskaya
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Karen Yap
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Fursham Hamid
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - Eugene V Makeyev
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
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9
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Moakley DF, Campbell M, Anglada-Girotto M, Feng H, Califano A, Au E, Zhang C. Reverse engineering neuron type-specific and type-orthogonal splicing-regulatory networks using single-cell transcriptomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.13.597128. [PMID: 38915499 PMCID: PMC11195221 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.13.597128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Cell type-specific alternative splicing (AS) enables differential gene isoform expression between diverse neuron types with distinct identities and functions. Current studies linking individual RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) to AS in a few neuron types underscore the need for holistic modeling. Here, we use network reverse engineering to derive a map of the neuron type-specific AS regulatory landscape from 133 mouse neocortical cell types defined by single-cell transcriptomes. This approach reliably inferred the regulons of 350 RBPs and their cell type-specific activities. Our analysis revealed driving factors delineating neuronal identities, among which we validated Elavl2 as a key RBP for MGE-specific splicing in GABAergic interneurons using an in vitro ESC differentiation system. We also identified a module of exons and candidate regulators specific for long- and short-projection neurons across multiple neuronal classes. This study provides a resource for elucidating splicing regulatory programs that drive neuronal molecular diversity, including those that do not align with gene expression-based classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F Moakley
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Melissa Campbell
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Present address: Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Miquel Anglada-Girotto
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Present address: Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Huijuan Feng
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Present address: Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Edmund Au
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative Scholar, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Chaolin Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Zhang J, Li H, Niswander LA. m 5C methylated lncRncr3-MeCP2 interaction restricts miR124a-initiated neurogenesis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5136. [PMID: 38879605 PMCID: PMC11180186 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49368-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Coordination of neuronal differentiation with expansion of the neuroepithelial/neural progenitor cell (NEPC/NPC) pool is essential in early brain development. Our in vitro and in vivo studies identify independent and opposing roles for two neural-specific and differentially expressed non-coding RNAs derived from the same locus: the evolutionarily conserved lncRNA Rncr3 and the embedded microRNA miR124a-1. Rncr3 regulates NEPC/NPC proliferation and controls the biogenesis of miR124a, which determines neuronal differentiation. Rncr3 conserved exons 2/3 are cytosine methylated and bound by methyl-CpG binding protein MeCP2, which restricts expression of miR124a embedded in exon 4 to prevent premature neuronal differentiation, and to orchestrate proper brain growth. MeCP2 directly binds cytosine-methylated Rncr3 through previously unrecognized lysine residues and suppresses miR124a processing by recruiting PTBP1 to block access of DROSHA-DGCR8. Thus, miRNA processing is controlled by lncRNA m5C methylation along with the defined m5C epitranscriptomic RNA reader protein MeCP2 to coordinate brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
| | - Huili Li
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Lee A Niswander
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
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Kubota N, Chen L, Zheng S. Shiba: A unified computational method for robust identification of differential RNA splicing across platforms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.30.596331. [PMID: 38895326 PMCID: PMC11185541 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.30.596331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) is a fundamental regulatory process that generates transcript diversity and cell type variation. We developed Shiba, a robust method integrating transcript assembly, splicing event identification, read counting, and statistical analysis, to efficiently quantify exon splicing levels across various types of RNA-seq datasets. Compared to existing pipelines, Shiba excels in capturing both annotated and unannotated or cryptic differential splicing events with superior accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Furthermore, Shiba's unique consideration of junction read imbalance and exon-body read coverage reduces false positives, essential for downstream functional analyses. We have further developed scShiba for single-cell/nucleus (sc/sn) RNA-seq data, enabling the exploration of splicing variations in heterogeneous cell populations. Both simulated and real data demonstrate Shiba's robustness across multiple sample sizes, including n=1 datasets and individual cell clusters from scRNA-seq. Application of Shiba on single replicates of RNA-seq identified new AS-NMD targets, and scShiba on snRNA-seq revealed intricate temporal AS regulation in dopaminergic neurons. Both Shiba and scShiba are provided in Docker/Singularity containers and Snakemake pipeline, enhancing accessibility and reproducibility. The comprehensive capabilities of Shiba and scShiba allow systematic and robust quantification of alternative splicing events, laying a solid foundation for mechanistic exploration of functional complexity in RNA splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Kubota
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Sika Zheng
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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12
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Joglekar A, Hu W, Zhang B, Narykov O, Diekhans M, Marrocco J, Balacco J, Ndhlovu LC, Milner TA, Fedrigo O, Jarvis ED, Sheynkman G, Korkin D, Ross ME, Tilgner HU. Single-cell long-read sequencing-based mapping reveals specialized splicing patterns in developing and adult mouse and human brain. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1051-1063. [PMID: 38594596 PMCID: PMC11156538 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01616-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
RNA isoforms influence cell identity and function. However, a comprehensive brain isoform map was lacking. We analyze single-cell RNA isoforms across brain regions, cell subtypes, developmental time points and species. For 72% of genes, full-length isoform expression varies along one or more axes. Splicing, transcription start and polyadenylation sites vary strongly between cell types, influence protein architecture and associate with disease-linked variation. Additionally, neurotransmitter transport and synapse turnover genes harbor cell-type variability across anatomical regions. Regulation of cell-type-specific splicing is pronounced in the postnatal day 21-to-postnatal day 28 adolescent transition. Developmental isoform regulation is stronger than regional regulation for the same cell type. Cell-type-specific isoform regulation in mice is mostly maintained in the human hippocampus, allowing extrapolation to the human brain. Conversely, the human brain harbors additional cell-type specificity, suggesting gain-of-function isoforms. Together, this detailed single-cell atlas of full-length isoform regulation across development, anatomical regions and species reveals an unappreciated degree of isoform variability across multiple axes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoushka Joglekar
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neurogenetics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wen Hu
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neurogenetics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bei Zhang
- Spatial Genomics, Inc., Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Oleksandr Narykov
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Computer Science Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Data Science Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Mark Diekhans
- UC Genomics Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer Balacco
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lishomwa C Ndhlovu
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teresa A Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olivier Fedrigo
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erich D Jarvis
- Vertebrate Genome Lab, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Gloria Sheynkman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Dmitry Korkin
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Computer Science Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Data Science Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - M Elizabeth Ross
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neurogenetics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hagen U Tilgner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Neurogenetics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Patowary A, Zhang P, Jops C, Vuong CK, Ge X, Hou K, Kim M, Gong N, Margolis M, Vo D, Wang X, Liu C, Pasaniuc B, Li JJ, Gandal MJ, de la Torre-Ubieta L. Developmental isoform diversity in the human neocortex informs neuropsychiatric risk mechanisms. Science 2024; 384:eadh7688. [PMID: 38781356 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh7688] [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: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
RNA splicing is highly prevalent in the brain and has strong links to neuropsychiatric disorders; yet, the role of cell type-specific splicing and transcript-isoform diversity during human brain development has not been systematically investigated. In this work, we leveraged single-molecule long-read sequencing to deeply profile the full-length transcriptome of the germinal zone and cortical plate regions of the developing human neocortex at tissue and single-cell resolution. We identified 214,516 distinct isoforms, of which 72.6% were novel (not previously annotated in Gencode version 33), and uncovered a substantial contribution of transcript-isoform diversity-regulated by RNA binding proteins-in defining cellular identity in the developing neocortex. We leveraged this comprehensive isoform-centric gene annotation to reprioritize thousands of rare de novo risk variants and elucidate genetic risk mechanisms for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Patowary
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Connor Jops
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute at Penn Med and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Celine K Vuong
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Xinzhou Ge
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kangcheng Hou
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Minsoo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Naihua Gong
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael Margolis
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel Vo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute at Penn Med and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xusheng Wang
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Bogdan Pasaniuc
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Institute for Precision Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jingyi Jessica Li
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael J Gandal
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute at Penn Med and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Luis de la Torre-Ubieta
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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14
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Cesari E, Farini D, Medici V, Ehrmann I, Guerra M, Testa E, Naro C, Geloso MC, Pagliarini V, La Barbera L, D’Amelio M, Orsini T, Vecchioli SF, Tamagnone L, Fort P, Viscomi MT, Elliott DJ, Sette C. Differential expression of paralog RNA binding proteins establishes a dynamic splicing program required for normal cerebral cortex development. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4167-4184. [PMID: 38324473 PMCID: PMC11077083 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae071] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Sam68 and SLM2 are paralog RNA binding proteins (RBPs) expressed in the cerebral cortex and display similar splicing activities. However, their relative functions during cortical development are unknown. We found that these RBPs exhibit an opposite expression pattern during development. Sam68 expression declines postnatally while SLM2 increases after birth, and this developmental pattern is reinforced by hierarchical control of Sam68 expression by SLM2. Analysis of Sam68:Slm2 double knockout (Sam68:Slm2dko) mice revealed hundreds of exons that respond to joint depletion of these proteins. Moreover, parallel analysis of single and double knockout cortices indicated that exons regulated mainly by SLM2 are characterized by a dynamic splicing pattern during development, whereas Sam68-dependent exons are spliced at relatively constant rates. Dynamic splicing of SLM2-sensitive exons is completely suppressed in the Sam68:Slm2dko developing cortex. Sam68:Slm2dko mice die perinatally with defects in neurogenesis and in neuronal differentiation, and develop a hydrocephalus, consistent with splicing alterations in genes related to these biological processes. Thus, our study reveals that developmental control of separate Sam68 and Slm2 paralog genes encoding homologous RBPs enables the orchestration of a dynamic splicing program needed for brain development and viability, while ensuring a robust redundant mechanism that supports proper cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Cesari
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Farini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Vanessa Medici
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Ingrid Ehrmann
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Marika Guerra
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Erika Testa
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Histology and Embryology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome
| | - Chiara Naro
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Concetta Geloso
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittoria Pagliarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Livia La Barbera
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Amelio
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Orsini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC/CNR), Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Farioli Vecchioli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC/CNR), Monterotondo, 00015 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Tamagnone
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Histology and Embryology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome
| | - Philippe Fort
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Histology and Embryology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome
| | - David J Elliott
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University Institute of Biosciences, Newcastle NE1 3BZ, UK
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy
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15
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Nazim M, Lin CH, Feng AC, Xiao W, Yeom KH, Li M, Daly AE, Tan X, Vu H, Ernst J, Carey MF, Smale ST, Black DL. Alternative splicing of a chromatin modifier alters the transcriptional regulatory programs of stem cell maintenance and neuronal differentiation. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:754-771.e6. [PMID: 38701759 PMCID: PMC11126784 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Development of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into neurons requires intricate regulation of transcription, splicing, and translation, but how these processes interconnect is not understood. We found that polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) controls splicing of DPF2, a subunit of BRG1/BRM-associated factor (BAF) chromatin remodeling complexes. Dpf2 exon 7 splicing is inhibited by PTBP1 to produce the DPF2-S isoform early in development. During neuronal differentiation, loss of PTBP1 allows exon 7 inclusion and DPF2-L expression. Different cellular phenotypes and gene expression programs were induced by these alternative DPF2 isoforms. We identified chromatin binding sites enriched for each DPF2 isoform, as well as sites bound by both. In ESC, DPF2-S preferential sites were bound by pluripotency factors. In neuronal progenitors, DPF2-S sites were bound by nuclear factor I (NFI), while DPF2-L sites were bound by CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF). DPF2-S sites exhibited enhancer modifications, while DPF2-L sites showed promoter modifications. Thus, alternative splicing redirects BAF complex targeting to impact chromatin organization during neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Nazim
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chia-Ho Lin
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - An-Chieh Feng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Wen Xiao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kyu-Hyeon Yeom
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mulin Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison E Daly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Xianglong Tan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ha Vu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jason Ernst
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Michael F Carey
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stephen T Smale
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Douglas L Black
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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16
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Kumar NH, Kluever V, Barth E, Krautwurst S, Furlan M, Pelizzola M, Marz M, Fornasiero EF. Comprehensive transcriptome analysis reveals altered mRNA splicing and post-transcriptional changes in the aged mouse brain. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2865-2885. [PMID: 38471806 PMCID: PMC11014377 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae172] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of molecular changes during brain aging is essential to mitigate cognitive decline and delay neurodegenerative diseases. The interpretation of mRNA alterations during brain aging is influenced by the health and age of the animal cohorts studied. Here, we carefully consider these factors and provide an in-depth investigation of mRNA splicing and dynamics in the aging mouse brain, combining short- and long-read sequencing technologies with extensive bioinformatic analyses. Our findings encompass a spectrum of age-related changes, including differences in isoform usage, decreased mRNA dynamics and a module showing increased expression of neuronal genes. Notably, our results indicate a reduced abundance of mRNA isoforms leading to nonsense-mediated RNA decay and suggest a regulatory role for RNA-binding proteins, indicating that their regulation may be altered leading to the reshaping of the aged brain transcriptome. Collectively, our study highlights the importance of studying mRNA splicing events during brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Hemandhar Kumar
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Verena Kluever
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Emanuel Barth
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian Krautwurst
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Mattia Furlan
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Pelizzola
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT@SEMM, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 20139 Milan, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Manja Marz
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Age Research, FLI, Beutenbergstraße 11, Jena 07743, Germany
- European Virus Bioinformatics Center, Friedrich Schiller University, Leutragraben 1, Jena 07743, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Puschstraße 4, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Michael Stifel Center Jena, Friedrich Schiller University, Ernst-Abbe-Platz 2, Jena 07743, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Fuerstengraben 1, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Eugenio F Fornasiero
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
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17
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Moreno-Aguilera M, Neher AM, Mendoza MB, Dodel M, Mardakheh FK, Ortiz R, Gallego C. KIS counteracts PTBP2 and regulates alternative exon usage in neurons. eLife 2024; 13:e96048. [PMID: 38597390 PMCID: PMC11045219 DOI: 10.7554/elife.96048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing is an essential and dynamic process in neuronal differentiation and synapse maturation, and dysregulation of this process has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies have revealed the importance of RNA-binding proteins in the regulation of neuronal splicing programs. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the control of these splicing regulators are still unclear. Here, we show that KIS, a kinase upregulated in the developmental brain, imposes a genome-wide alteration in exon usage during neuronal differentiation in mice. KIS contains a protein-recognition domain common to spliceosomal components and phosphorylates PTBP2, counteracting the role of this splicing factor in exon exclusion. At the molecular level, phosphorylation of unstructured domains within PTBP2 causes its dissociation from two co-regulators, Matrin3 and hnRNPM, and hinders the RNA-binding capability of the complex. Furthermore, KIS and PTBP2 display strong and opposing functional interactions in synaptic spine emergence and maturation. Taken together, our data uncover a post-translational control of splicing regulators that link transcriptional and alternative exon usage programs in neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alba M Neher
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Mónica B Mendoza
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Martin Dodel
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Faraz K Mardakheh
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Raúl Ortiz
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), CSICBarcelonaSpain
| | - Carme Gallego
- Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB), CSICBarcelonaSpain
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18
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Ciampi L, Serrano L, Irimia M. Unique transcriptomes of sensory and non-sensory neurons: insights from Splicing Regulatory States. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:296-310. [PMID: 38438733 PMCID: PMC10987577 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00020-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative Splicing (AS) programs serve as instructive signals of cell type specificity, particularly within the brain, which comprises dozens of molecularly and functionally distinct cell types. Among them, retinal photoreceptors stand out due to their unique transcriptome, making them a particularly well-suited system for studying how AS shapes cell type-specific molecular functions. Here, we use the Splicing Regulatory State (SRS) as a novel framework to discuss the splicing factors governing the unique AS pattern of photoreceptors, and how this pattern may aid in the specification of their highly specialized sensory cilia. In addition, we discuss how other sensory cells with ciliated structures, for which data is much scarcer, also rely on specific SRSs to implement a proteome specialized in the detection of sensory stimuli. By reviewing the general rules of cell type- and tissue-specific AS programs, firstly in the brain and subsequently in specialized sensory neurons, we propose a novel paradigm on how SRSs are established and how they can diversify. Finally, we illustrate how SRSs shape the outcome of mutations in splicing factors to produce cell type-specific phenotypes that can lead to various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Ciampi
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Luis Serrano
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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19
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Shen L, Ma X, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Pham HQH, Tao X, Cui Y, Wei J, Lin D, Abeywanada T, Hardikar S, Halabelian L, Smith N, Chen T, Barsyte-Lovejoy D, Qiu S, Xing Y, Yang Y. Loss-of-function mutation in PRMT9 causes abnormal synapse development by dysregulation of RNA alternative splicing. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2809. [PMID: 38561334 PMCID: PMC10984984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47107-9] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein arginine methyltransferase 9 (PRMT9) is a recently identified member of the PRMT family, yet its biological function remains largely unknown. Here, by characterizing an intellectual disability associated PRMT9 mutation (G189R) and establishing a Prmt9 conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model, we uncover an important function of PRMT9 in neuronal development. The G189R mutation abolishes PRMT9 methyltransferase activity and reduces its protein stability. Knockout of Prmt9 in hippocampal neurons causes alternative splicing of ~1900 genes, which likely accounts for the aberrant synapse development and impaired learning and memory in the Prmt9 cKO mice. Mechanistically, we discover a methylation-sensitive protein-RNA interaction between the arginine 508 (R508) of the splicing factor 3B subunit 2 (SF3B2), the site that is exclusively methylated by PRMT9, and the pre-mRNA anchoring site, a cis-regulatory element that is critical for RNA splicing. Additionally, using human and mouse cell lines, as well as an SF3B2 arginine methylation-deficient mouse model, we provide strong evidence that SF3B2 is the primary methylation substrate of PRMT9, thus highlighting the conserved function of the PRMT9/SF3B2 axis in regulating pre-mRNA splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Shen
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Xiaokuang Ma
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Zhihao Wang
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Hoang Quoc Hai Pham
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Xiaoqun Tao
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Yuehua Cui
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Jing Wei
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Dimitri Lin
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Tharindumala Abeywanada
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Swanand Hardikar
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Levon Halabelian
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Noah Smith
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Taiping Chen
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Shenfeng Qiu
- Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Yanzhong Yang
- Department of Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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20
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Yuan CU, Quah FX, Hemberg M. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics: Bridging current technologies with long-read sequencing. Mol Aspects Med 2024; 96:101255. [PMID: 38368637 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2024.101255] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell technologies have transformed biomedical research over the last decade, opening up new possibilities for understanding cellular heterogeneity, both at the genomic and transcriptomic level. In addition, more recent developments of spatial transcriptomics technologies have made it possible to profile cells in their tissue context. In parallel, there have been substantial advances in sequencing technologies, and the third generation of methods are able to produce reads that are tens of kilobases long, with error rates matching the second generation short reads. Long reads technologies make it possible to better map large genome rearrangements and quantify isoform specific abundances. This further improves our ability to characterize functionally relevant heterogeneity. Here, we show how researchers have begun to combine single-cell, spatial transcriptomics, and long-read technologies, and how this is resulting in powerful new approaches to profiling both the genome and the transcriptome. We discuss the achievements so far, and we highlight remaining challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengwei Ulrika Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fu Xiang Quah
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Gene Lay Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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21
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Raposo M, Hübener-Schmid J, Tagett R, Ferreira AF, Vieira Melo AR, Vasconcelos J, Pires P, Kay T, Garcia-Moreno H, Giunti P, Santana MM, Pereira de Almeida L, Infante J, van de Warrenburg BP, de Vries JJ, Faber J, Klockgether T, Casadei N, Admard J, Schöls L, Riess O, Costa MDC, Lima M. Blood and cerebellar abundance of ATXN3 splice variants in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106456. [PMID: 38423193 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)/Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a heritable proteinopathy disorder, whose causative gene, ATXN3, undergoes alternative splicing. Ataxin-3 protein isoforms differ in their toxicity, suggesting that certain ATXN3 splice variants may be crucial in driving the selective toxicity in SCA3. Using RNA-seq datasets we identified and determined the abundance of annotated ATXN3 transcripts in blood (n = 60) and cerebellum (n = 12) of SCA3 subjects and controls. The reference transcript (ATXN3-251), translating into an ataxin-3 isoform harbouring three ubiquitin-interacting motifs (UIMs), showed the highest abundance in blood, while the most abundant transcript in the cerebellum (ATXN3-208) was of unclear function. Noteworthy, two of the four transcripts that encode full-length ataxin-3 isoforms but differ in the C-terminus were strongly related with tissue expression specificity: ATXN3-251 (3UIM) was expressed in blood 50-fold more than in the cerebellum, whereas ATXN3-214 (2UIM) was expressed in the cerebellum 20-fold more than in the blood. These findings shed light on ATXN3 alternative splicing, aiding in the comprehension of SCA3 pathogenesis and providing guidance in the design of future ATXN3 mRNA-lowering therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda Raposo
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
| | - Jeannette Hübener-Schmid
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Rare Diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Rebecca Tagett
- Bioinformatics Core, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ana F Ferreira
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Ana Rosa Vieira Melo
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - João Vasconcelos
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital do Divino Espírito Santo, Ponta Delgada, Portugal
| | - Paula Pires
- Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital do Santo Espírito da Ilha Terceira, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - Teresa Kay
- Serviço de Genética Clínica, Hospital D. Estefânia, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Hector Garcia-Moreno
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Neurogenetics, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Paola Giunti
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Neurogenetics, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Magda M Santana
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (IIIUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luis Pereira de Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra (FFUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jon Infante
- Neurology Service, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Santander, Spain
| | - Bart P van de Warrenburg
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J de Vries
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Faber
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; NGS Competence Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Admard
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; NGS Competence Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ludger Schöls
- Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center for Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Centre for Rare Diseases, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; NGS Competence Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maria do Carmo Costa
- Department of Neurology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Manuela Lima
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
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22
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Deshpande K, Martirosian V, Nakamura BN, Das D, Iyer M, Reed M, Shao L, Bamshad D, Buckley NJ, Neman J. SRRM4-mediated REST to REST4 dysregulation promotes tumor growth and neural adaptation in breast cancer leading to brain metastasis. Neuro Oncol 2024; 26:309-322. [PMID: 37716001 PMCID: PMC10836770 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective control of brain metastasis remains an urgent clinical need due a limited understanding of the mechanisms driving it. Although the gain of neuro-adaptive attributes in breast-to-brain metastases (BBMs) has been described, the mechanisms that govern this neural acclimation and the resulting brain metastasis competency are poorly understood. Herein, we define the role of neural-specific splicing factor Serine/Arginine Repetitive Matrix Protein 4 (SRRM4) in regulating microenvironmental adaptation and brain metastasis colonization in breast cancer cells. METHODS Utilizing pure neuronal cultures and brain-naive and patient-derived BM tumor cells, along with in vivo tumor modeling, we surveyed the early induction of mediators of neural acclimation in tumor cells. RESULTS When SRRM4 is overexpressed in systemic breast cancer cells, there is enhanced BBM leading to poorer overall survival in vivo. Concomitantly, SRRM4 knockdown expression does not provide any advantage in central nervous system metastasis. In addition, reducing SRRM4 expression in breast cancer cells slows down proliferation and increases resistance to chemotherapy. Conversely, when SRRM4/REST4 levels are elevated, tumor cell growth is maintained even in nutrient-deprived conditions. In neuronal coculture, decreasing SRRM4 expression in breast cancer cells impairs their ability to adapt to the brain microenvironment, while increasing SRRM4/RE-1 Silencing Transcription Factor (REST4) levels leads to greater expression of neurotransmitter and synaptic signaling mediators and a significant colonization advantage. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our findings identify SRRM4 as a regulator of brain metastasis colonization, and a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krutika Deshpande
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA)
| | - Vahan Martirosian
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Brooke N Nakamura
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Diganta Das
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mukund Iyer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Max Reed
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ling Shao
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniella Bamshad
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Noel J Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Josh Neman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Brain Tumor Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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23
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Ustaoglu P, McQuarrie DWJ, Rochet A, Dix TC, Haussmann IU, Arnold R, Devaud JM, Soller M. Memory consolidation in honey bees is enhanced by down-regulation of Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule and changes its alternative splicing. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 16:1322808. [PMID: 38264345 PMCID: PMC10803435 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1322808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (Dscam) gene encodes a cell adhesion molecule required for neuronal wiring. A remarkable feature of arthropod Dscam is massive alternative splicing generating thousands of different isoforms from three variable clusters of alternative exons. Dscam expression and diversity arising from alternative splicing have been studied during development, but whether they exert functions in adult brains has not been determined. Here, using honey bees, we find that Dscam expression is critically linked to memory retention as reducing expression by RNAi enhances memory after reward learning in adult worker honey bees. Moreover, alternative splicing of Dscam is altered in all three variable clusters after learning. Since identical Dscam isoforms engage in homophilic interactions, these results suggest a mechanism to alter inclusion of variable exons during memory consolidation to modify neuronal connections for memory retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Ustaoglu
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - David W. J. McQuarrie
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Rochet
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, UPS, Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
| | - Thomas C. Dix
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Irmgard U. Haussmann
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Roland Arnold
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Cancer and Genomics Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Marc Devaud
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, UPS, Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Matthias Soller
- School of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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24
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Parikh K, Quintero Reis A, Wendt FR. Association between suicidal ideation and tandem repeats in contactins. Front Psychiatry 2024; 14:1236540. [PMID: 38239902 PMCID: PMC10794671 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1236540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Death by suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified loci that associate with suicidal ideation and related behaviours. One such group of loci are the six contactin genes (CNTN1-6) that are critical to neurodevelopment through regulating neurite structure. Because single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by GWAS often map to non-coding intergenic regions, we investigated whether repetitive variants in CNTNs associated with suicidality in a young cohort aged 8 to 21. Understanding the genetic liability of suicidal thought and behavior in this age group will promote early intervention and treatment. Methods Genotypic and phenotypic data were obtained from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopment Cohort (PNC). Across six CNTNs, 232 short tandem repeats (STRs) were analyzed in up to 4,595 individuals of European ancestry who expressed current, previous, or no suicidal ideation. STRs were imputed into SNP arrays using a phased SNP-STR haplotype reference panel from the 1000 Genomes Project. We tested several additive and interactive models of locus-level burden (i.e., sum of STR alleles) with respect to suicidal ideation. Additive models included sex, birth year, developmental stage ("DevStage"), and the first 10 principal components of ancestry as covariates; interactive models assessed the effect of STR-by-DevStage considering all other covariates. Results CNTN1-[T]N interacted with DevStage to increase risk for current suicidal ideation (CNTN1-[T]N-by-DevStage; p = 0.00035). Compared to the youngest age group, the middle (OR = 1.80, p = 0.0514) and oldest (OR = 3.82, p = 0.0002) participant groups had significantly higher odds of suicidal ideation as their STR length expanded; this result was independent of polygenic scores for suicidal ideation. Discussion These findings highlight diversity in the genetic effects (i.e., SNP and STR) acting on suicidal thoughts and behavior and advance our understanding of suicidal ideation across childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kairavi Parikh
- Forensic Science Program, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Quintero Reis
- Forensic Science Program, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Frank R. Wendt
- Forensic Science Program, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Biostatistics Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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25
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Scheller IF, Lutz K, Mertes C, Yépez VA, Gagneur J. Improved detection of aberrant splicing with FRASER 2.0 and the intron Jaccard index. Am J Hum Genet 2023; 110:2056-2067. [PMID: 38006880 PMCID: PMC10716352 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of aberrantly spliced genes is an important step in RNA-seq-based rare-disease diagnostics. We recently developed FRASER, a denoising autoencoder-based method that outperformed alternative methods of detecting aberrant splicing. However, because FRASER's three splice metrics are partially redundant and tend to be sensitive to sequencing depth, we introduce here a more robust intron-excision metric, the intron Jaccard index, that combines the alternative donor, alternative acceptor, and intron-retention signal into a single value. Moreover, we optimized model parameters and filter cutoffs by using candidate rare-splice-disrupting variants as independent evidence. On 16,213 GTEx samples, our improved algorithm, FRASER 2.0, called typically 10 times fewer splicing outliers while increasing the proportion of candidate rare-splice-disrupting variants by 10-fold and substantially decreasing the effect of sequencing depth on the number of reported outliers. To lower the multiple-testing correction burden, we introduce an option to select the genes to be tested for each sample instead of a transcriptome-wide approach. This option can be particularly useful when prior information, such as candidate variants or genes, is available. Application on 303 rare-disease samples confirmed the relative reduction in the number of outlier calls for a slight loss of sensitivity; FRASER 2.0 recovered 22 out of 26 previously identified pathogenic splicing cases with default cutoffs and 24 when multiple-testing correction was limited to OMIM genes containing rare variants. Altogether, these methodological improvements contribute to more effective RNA-seq-based rare diagnostics by drastically reducing the amount of splicing outlier calls per sample at minimal loss of sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines F Scheller
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany; Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karoline Lutz
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Christian Mertes
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany; Munich Data Science Institute, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Vicente A Yépez
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Julien Gagneur
- School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany; Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Munich Data Science Institute, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
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26
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Wu XF, Liu Y, Zhan JS, Huang QL, Li WY. A novel splice variant of goat CPT1a gene and their diverse mRNA expression profiles. Anim Biotechnol 2023; 34:2571-2581. [PMID: 36047452 DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2022.2106573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The Alternative splicing (AS) of Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (CPT1a) and their expression profiles had never been illuminated in goats until now. Herein, a novel splice transcript in the CPT1a gene that is predicted to result in the skipping of exons 6-19 (CPT1a-sv1) has been isolated in addition to the full-length transcript in goats. The result of RT-PCR showed that CPT1a-sv1 is 606 bp in length and consists of 6 exons. A novel exon 6 was consisted of partial exon 5 and partial exon 19, compared to that in CPT1a. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression patterns of CPT1a and CPT1a-sv1 are spatially different. In both kid and adult goats, the CPT1a transcript is strongly expressed in the liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and brain tissues. However, CPT1a-sv1 has a strong tissue-specific expression pattern, with moderate RNA levels in the liver and brain of kids, while highly expressed in the liver and minimally expressed in the brain of adults. We observed two transcripts to be involved in brain development. These findings improve our understanding of the function of the CPT1a gene in goats and provide information on the molecular mechanism of AS events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Feng Wu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jin-Shun Zhan
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Qin-Lou Huang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wen-Yang Li
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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27
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Lee S, Aubee JI, Lai EC. Regulation of alternative splicing and polyadenylation in neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202302000. [PMID: 37793776 PMCID: PMC10551640 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302000] [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: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-type-specific gene expression is a fundamental feature of multicellular organisms and is achieved by combinations of regulatory strategies. Although cell-restricted transcription is perhaps the most widely studied mechanism, co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes are also central to the spatiotemporal control of gene functions. One general category of expression control involves the generation of multiple transcript isoforms from an individual gene, whose balance and cell specificity are frequently tightly regulated via diverse strategies. The nervous system makes particularly extensive use of cell-specific isoforms, specializing the neural function of genes that are expressed more broadly. Here, we review regulatory strategies and RNA-binding proteins that direct neural-specific isoform processing. These include various classes of alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation events, both of which broadly diversify the neural transcriptome. Importantly, global alterations of splicing and alternative polyadenylation are characteristic of many neural pathologies, and recent genetic studies demonstrate how misregulation of individual neural isoforms can directly cause mutant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjae Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph I Aubee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric C Lai
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
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Sumitha MK, Kalimuthu M, Aarthy M, Paramasivan R, Kumar A, Gupta B. In silico identification, characterization, and expression analysis of RNA recognition motif (RRM) containing RNA-binding proteins in Aedes aegypti. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2847-2857. [PMID: 37735272 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07969-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are the proteins that bind RNAs and regulate their functioning. RBPs in mosquitoes are gaining attention due to their ability to bind flaviviruses and regulate their replication and transmission. Despite their relevance, RBPs in mosquitoes are not explored much. In this study, we screened the whole genome of Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of several pathogenic viruses, and identified the proteins containing RNA recognition motif (RRM), the most abundant protein domain in eukaryotes. Using several in silico strategies, a total of 135 RRM-containing RBPs were identified in Ae. aegypti. The proteins were characterized based on their available annotations and the sequence similarity with Drosophila melanogaster. Ae. aegypti RRM-containing RBPs included serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins, polyadenylate-binding proteins (PABP), heteronuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNP), small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNP), splicing factors, eukaryotic initiation factors, transformers, and nucleolysins. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the proteins and the domain organization are conserved among Ae. aegypti, Bombyx mori, and Drosophila melanogaster. However, the gene length and the intron-exon organization varied across the insect species. Expression analysis of the genes encoding RBPs using publicly available RNA sequencing data for different developmental time points of the mosquito life cycle starting from the ovary and eggs up to the adults revealed stage-specific expression with several genes preferentially expressed in early embryonic stages and blood-fed female ovaries. This is the first database for the Ae. aegypti RBPs that can serve as the reference base for future investigations. Stage-specific genes can be further explored to determine their role in mosquito growth and development with a focus on developing novel mosquito control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melveettil Kishor Sumitha
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Field Station, 4, Sarojini Street Chinna Chokkikulam, Madurai, 625002, India
| | - Mariapillai Kalimuthu
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Field Station, 4, Sarojini Street Chinna Chokkikulam, Madurai, 625002, India
| | - Murali Aarthy
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Field Station, 4, Sarojini Street Chinna Chokkikulam, Madurai, 625002, India
| | - Rajaiah Paramasivan
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Field Station, 4, Sarojini Street Chinna Chokkikulam, Madurai, 625002, India
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Puducherry, India
| | - Bhavna Gupta
- ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre (VCRC), Field Station, 4, Sarojini Street Chinna Chokkikulam, Madurai, 625002, India.
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Du Y, Cao L, Wang S, Guo L, Tan L, Liu H, Feng Y, Wu W. Differences in alternative splicing and their potential underlying factors between animals and plants. J Adv Res 2023:S2090-1232(23)00354-5. [PMID: 37981087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alternative splicing (AS), a posttranscriptional process, contributes to the complexity of transcripts from a limited number of genes in a genome, and AS is considered a great source of genetic and phenotypic diversity in eukaryotes. In animals, AS is tightly regulated during the processes of cell growth and differentiation, and its dysregulation is involved in many diseases, including cancers. Likewise, in plants, AS occurs in all stages of plant growth and development, and it seems to play important roles in the rapid reprogramming of genes in response to environmental stressors. To date, the prevalence and functional roles of AS have been extensively reviewed in animals and plants. However, AS differences between animals and plants, especially their underlying molecular mechanisms and impact factors, are anecdotal and rarely reviewed. AIM OF REVIEW This review aims to broaden our understanding of AS roles in a variety of biological processes and provide insights into the underlying mechanisms and impact factors likely leading to AS differences between animals and plants. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW We briefly summarize the roles of AS regulation in physiological and biochemical activities in animals and plants. Then, we underline the differences in the process of AS between plants and animals and especially analyze the potential impact factors, such as gene exon/intron architecture, 5'/3' untranslated regions (UTRs), spliceosome components, chromatin dynamics and transcription speeds, splicing factors [serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs)], noncoding RNAs, and environmental stimuli, which might lead to the differences. Moreover, we compare the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD)-mediated turnover of the transcripts with a premature termination codon (PTC) in animals and plants. Finally, we summarize the current AS knowledge published in animals versus plants and discuss the potential development of disease therapies and superior crops in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lu Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liangyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingling Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Wenwu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, Hangzhou, China.
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Carrion SA, Michal JJ, Jiang Z. Alternative Transcripts Diversify Genome Function for Phenome Relevance to Health and Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2051. [PMID: 38002994 PMCID: PMC10671453 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Manipulation using alternative exon splicing (AES), alternative transcription start (ATS), and alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites are key to transcript diversity underlying health and disease. All three are pervasive in organisms, present in at least 50% of human protein-coding genes. In fact, ATS and APA site use has the highest impact on protein identity, with their ability to alter which first and last exons are utilized as well as impacting stability and translation efficiency. These RNA variants have been shown to be highly specific, both in tissue type and stage, with demonstrated importance to cell proliferation, differentiation and the transition from fetal to adult cells. While alternative exon splicing has a limited effect on protein identity, its ubiquity highlights the importance of these minor alterations, which can alter other features such as localization. The three processes are also highly interwoven, with overlapping, complementary, and competing factors, RNA polymerase II and its CTD (C-terminal domain) chief among them. Their role in development means dysregulation leads to a wide variety of disorders and cancers, with some forms of disease disproportionately affected by specific mechanisms (AES, ATS, or APA). Challenges associated with the genome-wide profiling of RNA variants and their potential solutions are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhihua Jiang
- Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7620, USA; (S.A.C.); (J.J.M.)
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Shatokhina O, Kovalskaia V, Sparber P, Sharkova I, Mishina I, Kuznetsova V, Ryzhkova O. TRA2B Gene Splice Variant Linked to Seizures and Neurodevelopmental Delay: A Second Case Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15572. [PMID: 37958557 PMCID: PMC10648248 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we report a novel splice variant in the TRA2B gene identified in a patient presenting with seizures and neurodevelopmental delay. This paper represents the second investigation of pathogenic variants in the TRA2B gene in humans, reaffirming the conclusions of the initial study and underscoring the importance of this research. Comprehensive genetic testing, including whole genome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, and mRNA analysis, was performed on the proband and her parents. The proband harbored a de novo c.170+1G>A variant in the RS1 domain of Tra2β, which was confirmed to be pathogenic through mRNA analysis, resulting in exon 2 deletion and a frameshift (p.Glu13Valfs*2). The clinical presentation of the patient was consistent with phenotypes described in one of the previous studies. These findings contribute to the dissemination and reinforcement of prior discoveries in the context of TRA2B-related syndrome and highlight the need for further investigation into the functional consequences and underlying pathogenic mechanisms associated with TRA2B mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Shatokhina
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Valeriia Kovalskaia
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Peter Sparber
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Inna Sharkova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Irina Mishina
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
| | | | - Oxana Ryzhkova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Research Centre For Medical Genetics”, 115478 Moscow, Russia; (O.S.); (V.K.); (P.S.); (I.S.); (I.M.)
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Patowary A, Zhang P, Jops C, Vuong CK, Ge X, Hou K, Kim M, Gong N, Margolis M, Vo D, Wang X, Liu C, Pasaniuc B, Li JJ, Gandal MJ, de la Torre-Ubieta L. Developmental isoform diversity in the human neocortex informs neuropsychiatric risk mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.25.534016. [PMID: 36993726 PMCID: PMC10055310 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.25.534016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
RNA splicing is highly prevalent in the brain and has strong links to neuropsychiatric disorders, yet the role of cell-type-specific splicing or transcript-isoform diversity during human brain development has not been systematically investigated. Here, we leveraged single-molecule long-read sequencing to deeply profile the full-length transcriptome of the germinal zone (GZ) and cortical plate (CP) regions of the developing human neocortex at tissue and single-cell resolution. We identified 214,516 unique isoforms, of which 72.6% are novel (unannotated in Gencode-v33), and uncovered a substantial contribution of transcript-isoform diversity, regulated by RNA binding proteins, in defining cellular identity in the developing neocortex. We leveraged this comprehensive isoform-centric gene annotation to re-prioritize thousands of rare de novo risk variants and elucidate genetic risk mechanisms for neuropsychiatric disorders. One-Sentence Summary A cell-specific atlas of gene isoform expression helps shape our understanding of brain development and disease. Structured Abstract INTRODUCTION: The development of the human brain is regulated by precise molecular and genetic mechanisms driving spatio-temporal and cell-type-specific transcript expression programs. Alternative splicing, a major mechanism increasing transcript diversity, is highly prevalent in the human brain, influences many aspects of brain development, and has strong links to neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite this, the cell-type-specific transcript-isoform diversity of the developing human brain has not been systematically investigated.RATIONALE: Understanding splicing patterns and isoform diversity across the developing neocortex has translational relevance and can elucidate genetic risk mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders. However, short-read sequencing, the prevalent technology for transcriptome profiling, is not well suited to capturing alternative splicing and isoform diversity. To address this, we employed third-generation long-read sequencing, which enables capture and sequencing of complete individual RNA molecules, to deeply profile the full-length transcriptome of the germinal zone (GZ) and cortical plate (CP) regions of the developing human neocortex at tissue and single-cell resolution.RESULTS: We profiled microdissected GZ and CP regions of post-conception week (PCW) 15-17 human neocortex in bulk and at single-cell resolution across six subjects using high-fidelity long-read sequencing (PacBio IsoSeq). We identified 214,516 unique isoforms, of which 72.6% were novel (unannotated in Gencode), and >7,000 novel exons, expanding the proteome by 92,422 putative proteoforms. We uncovered thousands of isoform switches during cortical neurogenesis predicted to impact RNA regulatory domains or protein structure and implicating previously uncharacterized RNA-binding proteins in cellular identity and neuropsychiatric disease. At the single-cell level, early-stage excitatory neurons exhibited the greatest isoform diversity, and isoform-centric single-cell clustering led to the identification of previously uncharacterized cell states. We systematically assessed the contribution of transcriptomic features, and localized cell and spatio-temporal transcript expression signatures across neuropsychiatric disorders, revealing predominant enrichments in dynamic isoform expression and utilization patterns and that the number and complexity of isoforms per gene is strongly predictive of disease. Leveraging this resource, we re-prioritized thousands of rare de novo risk variants associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), intellectual disability (ID), and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), more broadly, to potentially more severe consequences and revealed a larger proportion of cryptic splice variants with the expanded transcriptome annotation provided in this study.CONCLUSION: Our study offers a comprehensive landscape of isoform diversity in the human neocortex during development. This extensive cataloging of novel isoforms and splicing events sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders and presents an opportunity to explore rare genetic variants linked to these conditions. The implications of our findings extend beyond fundamental neuroscience, as they provide crucial insights into the molecular basis of developmental brain disorders and pave the way for targeted therapeutic interventions. To facilitate exploration of this dataset we developed an online portal ( https://sciso.gandallab.org/ ).
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Nutter CA, Kidd BM, Carter HA, Hamel JI, Mackie PM, Kumbkarni N, Davenport ML, Tuyn DM, Gopinath A, Creigh PD, Sznajder ŁJ, Wang ET, Ranum LPW, Khoshbouei H, Day JW, Sampson JB, Prokop S, Swanson MS. Choroid plexus mis-splicing and altered cerebrospinal fluid composition in myotonic dystrophy type 1. Brain 2023; 146:4217-4232. [PMID: 37143315 PMCID: PMC10545633 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a dominantly inherited multisystemic disease caused by CTG tandem repeat expansions in the DMPK 3' untranslated region. These expanded repeats are transcribed and produce toxic CUG RNAs that sequester and inhibit activities of the MBNL family of developmental RNA processing factors. Although myotonic dystrophy is classified as a muscular dystrophy, the brain is also severely affected by an unusual cohort of symptoms, including hypersomnia, executive dysfunction, as well as early onsets of tau/MAPT pathology and cerebral atrophy. To address the molecular and cellular events that lead to these pathological outcomes, we recently generated a mouse Dmpk CTG expansion knock-in model and identified choroid plexus epithelial cells as particularly affected by the expression of toxic CUG expansion RNAs. To determine if toxic CUG RNAs perturb choroid plexus functions, alternative splicing analysis was performed on lateral and hindbrain choroid plexi from Dmpk CTG knock-in mice. Choroid plexus transcriptome-wide changes were evaluated in Mbnl2 knockout mice, a developmental-onset model of myotonic dystrophy brain dysfunction. To determine if transcriptome changes also occurred in the human disease, we obtained post-mortem choroid plexus for RNA-seq from neurologically unaffected (two females, three males; ages 50-70 years) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (one female, three males; ages 50-70 years) donors. To test that choroid plexus transcriptome alterations resulted in altered CSF composition, we obtained CSF via lumbar puncture from patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (five females, five males; ages 35-55 years) and non-myotonic dystrophy patients (three females, four males; ages 26-51 years), and western blot and osmolarity analyses were used to test CSF alterations predicted by choroid plexus transcriptome analysis. We determined that CUG RNA induced toxicity was more robust in the lateral choroid plexus of Dmpk CTG knock-in mice due to comparatively higher Dmpk and lower Mbnl RNA levels. Impaired transitions to adult splicing patterns during choroid plexus development were identified in Mbnl2 knockout mice, including mis-splicing previously found in Dmpk CTG knock-in mice. Whole transcriptome analysis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 choroid plexus revealed disease-associated RNA expression and mis-splicing events. Based on these RNA changes, predicted alterations in ion homeostasis, secretory output and CSF composition were confirmed by analysis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 CSF. Our results implicate choroid plexus spliceopathy and concomitant alterations in CSF homeostasis as an unappreciated contributor to myotonic dystrophy type 1 CNS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curtis A Nutter
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Benjamin M Kidd
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Helmut A Carter
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Johanna I Hamel
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Philip M Mackie
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Nayha Kumbkarni
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Mackenzie L Davenport
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dana M Tuyn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Adithya Gopinath
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Peter D Creigh
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Łukasz J Sznajder
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Laura P W Ranum
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, McKnight Brain Institute and the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Habibeh Khoshbouei
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - John W Day
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jacinda B Sampson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, McKnight Brain Institute and the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Liu HL, Lu XM, Wang HY, Hu KB, Wu QY, Liao P, Li S, Long ZY, Wang YT. The role of RNA splicing factor PTBP1 in neuronal development. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119506. [PMID: 37263298 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing, which produces various mRNA isoforms with distinct structures and functions from a single gene, is regulated by specific RNA-binding proteins and is an essential method for regulating gene expression in mammals. Recent studies have shown that abnormal change during neuronal development triggered by splicing mis-regulation is an important feature of various neurological diseases. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) is a kind of RNA-binding proteins with extensive biological functions. As a well-known splicing regulator, it affects the neuronal development process through its involvement in axon formation, synaptogenesis, and neuronal apoptosis, according to the most recent studies. Here, we summarized the mechanism of alternative splicing, structure and function of PTBP1, and the latest research progress on the role of alternative splicing events regulated by PTBP1 in axon formation, synaptogenesis and neuronal apoptosis, to reveal the mechanism of PTBP1-regulated changes in neuronal development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Lin Liu
- College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China
| | - Xiu-Min Lu
- College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, PR China
| | - Hai-Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China
| | - Kai-Bin Hu
- College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, PR China
| | - Qing-Yun Wu
- College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, PR China
| | - Ping Liao
- College of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, PR China
| | - Sen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China
| | - Zai-Yun Long
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China
| | - Yong-Tang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China.
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Nishioka M, Takayama J, Sakai N, Kazuno AA, Ishiwata M, Ueda J, Hayama T, Fujii K, Someya T, Kuriyama S, Tamiya G, Takata A, Kato T. Deep exome sequencing identifies enrichment of deleterious mosaic variants in neurodevelopmental disorder genes and mitochondrial tRNA regions in bipolar disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4294-4306. [PMID: 37248276 PMCID: PMC10827672 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02096-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a global medical issue, afflicting around 1% of the population with manic and depressive episodes. Despite various genetic studies, the genetic architecture and pathogenesis of BD have not been fully resolved. Besides germline variants, postzygotic mosaic variants are proposed as new candidate mechanisms contributing to BD. Here, we performed extensive deep exome sequencing (DES, ~300×) and validation experiments to investigate the roles of mosaic variants in BD with 235 BD cases (194 probands of trios and 41 single cases) and 39 controls. We found an enrichment of developmental disorder (DD) genes in the genes hit by deleterious mosaic variants in BD (P = 0.000552), including a ClinVar-registered pathogenic variant in ARID2. An enrichment of deleterious mosaic variants was also observed for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genes (P = 0.000428). The proteins coded by the DD/ASD genes with non-synonymous mosaic variants in BD form more protein-protein interaction than expected, suggesting molecular mechanisms shared with DD/ASD but restricted to a subset of cells in BD. We also found significant enrichment of mitochondrial heteroplasmic variants, another class of mosaic variants, in mitochondrial tRNA genes in BD (P = 0.0102). Among them, recurrent m.3243 A > G variants known as causal for mitochondrial diseases were found in two unrelated BD probands with allele fractions of 5-12%, lower than in mitochondrial diseases. Despite the limitation of using peripheral tissues, our DES investigation supports the possible contribution of deleterious mosaic variants in the nuclear genome responsible for severer phenotypes, such as DD/ASD, to the risk of BD and further demonstrates that the same paradigm can be applied to the mitochondrial genome. These results, as well as the enrichment of heteroplasmic mitochondrial tRNA variants in BD, add a new piece to the understanding of the genetic architecture of BD and provide general insights into the pathological roles of mosaic variants in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Nishioka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Pathology of Mood Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Jun Takayama
- Department of AI and Innovative Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8573, Japan
- Statistical Genetics Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027, Japan
| | - Naomi Sakai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - An-A Kazuno
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Mizuho Ishiwata
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Junko Ueda
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takashi Hayama
- Yokohama Mental Clinic Totsuka, 494-8 Kamikurata-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, 244-0816, Japan
| | - Kumiko Fujii
- Department of Psychiatry, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-Cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Someya
- Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 757 Asahimachidori-ichibancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan
| | - Shinichi Kuriyama
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8573, Japan
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Gen Tamiya
- Department of AI and Innovative Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8575, Japan
- Department of Integrative Genomics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8573, Japan
- Statistical Genetics Team, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, 1-4-1 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027, Japan
| | - Atsushi Takata
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Tadafumi Kato
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Pathology of Mood Disorders, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
- Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
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Shirokikh NE, Jensen KB, Thakor N. Editorial: RNA machines. Front Genet 2023; 14:1290420. [PMID: 37829284 PMCID: PMC10565666 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1290420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay E. Shirokikh
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Kirk Blomquist Jensen
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nehal Thakor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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37
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Schertzer MD, Stirn A, Isaev K, Pereira L, Das A, Harbison C, Park SH, Wessels HH, Sanjana NE, Knowles DA. Cas13d-mediated isoform-specific RNA knockdown with a unified computational and experimental toolbox. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.12.557474. [PMID: 37745416 PMCID: PMC10515814 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.557474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is an essential mechanism for diversifying proteins, in which mature RNA isoforms produce proteins with potentially distinct functions. Two major challenges in characterizing the cellular function of isoforms are the lack of experimental methods to specifically and efficiently modulate isoform expression and computational tools for complex experimental design. To address these gaps, we developed and methodically tested a strategy which pairs the RNA-targeting CRISPR/Cas13d system with guide RNAs that span exon-exon junctions in the mature RNA. We performed a high-throughput essentiality screen, quantitative RT-PCR assays, and PacBio long read sequencing to affirm our ability to specifically target and robustly knockdown individual RNA isoforms. In parallel, we provide computational tools for experimental design and screen analysis. Considering all possible splice junctions annotated in GENCODE for multi-isoform genes and our gRNA efficacy predictions, we estimate that our junction-centric strategy can uniquely target up to 89% of human RNA isoforms, including 50,066 protein-coding and 11,415 lncRNA isoforms. Importantly, this specificity spans all splicing and transcriptional events, including exon skipping and inclusion, alternative 5' and 3' splice sites, and alternative starts and ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan D Schertzer
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Andrew Stirn
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Keren Isaev
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Anjali Das
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | | | - Stella H Park
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Hans-Hermann Wessels
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY
| | - Neville E Sanjana
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY
| | - David A Knowles
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
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38
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Schmeing S, Amrahova G, Bigler K, Chang JY, Openy J, Pal S, Posada L, Gasper R, 't Hart P. Rationally designed stapled peptides allosterically inhibit PTBP1-RNA-binding. Chem Sci 2023; 14:8269-8278. [PMID: 37564416 PMCID: PMC10411625 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00985h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The diverse role of the splicing factor PTBP1 in human cells has been widely studied and was found to be a driver for several diseases. PTBP1 binds RNA through its RNA-recognition motifs which lack obvious pockets for inhibition. A unique transient helix has been described to be part of its first RNA-recognition motif and to be important for RNA binding. In this study, we further confirmed the role of this helix and envisioned its dynamic nature as a unique opportunity to develop stapled peptide inhibitors of PTBP1. The peptides were found to be able to inhibit RNA binding via fluorescence polarization assays and directly occupy the helix binding site as observed by protein crystallography. These cell-permeable inhibitors were validated in cellulo to alter the regulation of alternative splicing events regulated by PTBP1. Our study demonstrates transient secondary structures of a protein can be mimicked by stapled peptides to inhibit allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schmeing
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Gulshan Amrahova
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Katrin Bigler
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Jen-Yao Chang
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Joseph Openy
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Sunit Pal
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Laura Posada
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Raphael Gasper
- Crystallography and Biophysics Unit, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Peter 't Hart
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
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39
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Wang F, Xu Y, Wang R, Zhang B, Smith N, Notaro A, Gaerlan S, Kutschera E, Kadash-Edmondson KE, Xing Y, Lin L. TEQUILA-seq: a versatile and low-cost method for targeted long-read RNA sequencing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4760. [PMID: 37553321 PMCID: PMC10409798 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40083-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-read RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) is a powerful technology for transcriptome analysis, but the relatively low throughput of current long-read sequencing platforms limits transcript coverage. One strategy for overcoming this bottleneck is targeted long-read RNA-seq for preselected gene panels. We present TEQUILA-seq, a versatile, easy-to-implement, and low-cost method for targeted long-read RNA-seq utilizing isothermally linear-amplified capture probes. When performed on the Oxford nanopore platform with multiple gene panels of varying sizes, TEQUILA-seq consistently and substantially enriches transcript coverage while preserving transcript quantification. We profile full-length transcript isoforms of 468 actionable cancer genes across 40 representative breast cancer cell lines. We identify transcript isoforms enriched in specific subtypes and discover novel transcript isoforms in extensively studied cancer genes such as TP53. Among cancer genes, tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) are significantly enriched for aberrant transcript isoforms targeted for degradation via mRNA nonsense-mediated decay, revealing a common RNA-associated mechanism for TSG inactivation. TEQUILA-seq reduces the per-reaction cost of targeted capture by 2-3 orders of magnitude, as compared to a standard commercial solution. TEQUILA-seq can be broadly used for targeted sequencing of full-length transcripts in diverse biomedical research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yang Xu
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Wang
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Beatrice Zhang
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Noah Smith
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amber Notaro
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samantha Gaerlan
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eric Kutschera
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn E Kadash-Edmondson
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi Xing
- Center for Computational and Genomic Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Lan Lin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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40
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Nikom D, Zheng S. Alternative splicing in neurodegenerative disease and the promise of RNA therapies. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:457-473. [PMID: 37336982 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00717-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing generates a myriad of RNA products and protein isoforms of different functions from a single gene. Dysregulated alternative splicing has emerged as a new mechanism broadly implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson disease and repeat expansion diseases. Understanding the mechanisms and functional outcomes of abnormal splicing in neurological disorders is vital in developing effective therapies to treat mis-splicing pathology. In this Review, we discuss emerging research and evidence of the roles of alternative splicing defects in major neurodegenerative diseases and summarize the latest advances in RNA-based therapeutic strategies to target these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nikom
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sika Zheng
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
- Center for RNA Biology and Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
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41
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Verdile V, Riccioni V, Guerra M, Ferrante G, Sette C, Valle C, Ferri A, Paronetto MP. An impaired splicing program underlies differentiation defects in hSOD1 G93A neural progenitor cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:236. [PMID: 37524863 PMCID: PMC11072603 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04893-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an adult devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs), resulting in progressive paralysis and death. Genetic animal models of ALS have highlighted dysregulation of synaptic structure and function as a pathogenic feature of ALS-onset and progression. Alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS), which allows expansion of the coding power of genomes by generating multiple transcript isoforms from each gene, is widely associated with synapse formation and functional specification. Deciphering the link between aberrant splicing regulation and pathogenic features of ALS could pave the ground for novel therapeutic opportunities. Herein, we found that neural progenitor cells (NPCs) derived from the hSOD1G93A mouse model of ALS displayed increased proliferation and propensity to differentiate into neurons. In parallel, hSOD1G93A NPCs showed impaired splicing patterns in synaptic genes, which could contribute to the observed phenotype. Remarkably, master splicing regulators of the switch from stemness to neural differentiation are de-regulated in hSOD1G93A NPCs, thus impacting the differentiation program. Our data indicate that hSOD1G93A mutation impacts on neurogenesis by increasing the NPC pool in the developing mouse cortex and affecting their intrinsic properties, through the establishment of a specific splicing program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Verdile
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Veronica Riccioni
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Marika Guerra
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Ferrante
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Sette
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Valle
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Ferri
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Paronetto
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135, Rome, Italy.
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and of Neurochemistry, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Via del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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42
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Salehi S, Zare A, Prezza G, Bader J, Schneider C, Fischer U, Meissner F, Mann M, Briese M, Sendtner M. Cytosolic Ptbp2 modulates axon growth in motoneurons through axonal localization and translation of Hnrnpr. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4158. [PMID: 37438340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuronal RNA-binding protein Ptbp2 regulates neuronal differentiation by modulating alternative splicing programs in the nucleus. Such programs contribute to axonogenesis by adjusting the levels of protein isoforms involved in axon growth and branching. While its functions in alternative splicing have been described in detail, cytosolic roles of Ptbp2 for axon growth have remained elusive. Here, we show that Ptbp2 is located in the cytosol including axons and growth cones of motoneurons, and that depletion of cytosolic Ptbp2 affects axon growth. We identify Ptbp2 as a major interactor of the 3' UTR of Hnrnpr mRNA encoding the RNA-binding protein hnRNP R. Axonal localization of Hnrnpr mRNA and local synthesis of hnRNP R protein are strongly reduced when Ptbp2 is depleted, leading to defective axon growth. Ptbp2 regulates hnRNP R translation by mediating the association of Hnrnpr with ribosomes in a manner dependent on the translation factor eIF5A2. Our data thus suggest a mechanism whereby cytosolic Ptbp2 modulates axon growth by fine-tuning the mRNA transport and local synthesis of an RNA-binding protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeede Salehi
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Abdolhossein Zare
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Gianluca Prezza
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jakob Bader
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Cornelius Schneider
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Utz Fischer
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Felix Meissner
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
- Experimental Systems Immunology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
- Institute of Innate Immunity, Department of Systems Immunology and Proteomics, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
- NNF Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael Briese
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
| | - Michael Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
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43
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Fu XD, Mobley WC. Therapeutic Potential of PTB Inhibition Through Converting Glial Cells to Neurons in the Brain. Annu Rev Neurosci 2023; 46:145-165. [PMID: 37428606 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-083022-113120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Cell replacement therapy represents a promising approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Contrary to the common addition strategy to generate new neurons from glia by overexpressing a lineage-specific transcription factor(s), a recent study introduced a subtraction strategy by depleting a single RNA-binding protein, Ptbp1, to convert astroglia to neurons not only in vitro but also in the brain. Given its simplicity, multiple groups have attempted to validate and extend this attractive approach but have met with difficulty in lineage tracing newly induced neurons from mature astrocytes, raising the possibility of neuronal leakage as an alternative explanation for apparent astrocyte-to-neuron conversion. This review focuses on the debate over this critical issue. Importantly, multiple lines of evidence suggest that Ptbp1 depletion can convert a selective subpopulation of glial cells into neurons and, via this and other mechanisms, reverse deficits in a Parkinson's disease model, emphasizing the importance of future efforts in exploring this therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Dong Fu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China;
| | - William C Mobley
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
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44
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Lyons LC, Vanrobaeys Y, Abel T. Sleep and memory: The impact of sleep deprivation on transcription, translational control, and protein synthesis in the brain. J Neurochem 2023; 166:24-46. [PMID: 36802068 PMCID: PMC10919414 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
In countries around the world, sleep deprivation represents a widespread problem affecting school-age children, teenagers, and adults. Acute sleep deprivation and more chronic sleep restriction adversely affect individual health, impairing memory and cognitive performance as well as increasing the risk and progression of numerous diseases. In mammals, the hippocampus and hippocampus-dependent memory are vulnerable to the effects of acute sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation induces changes in molecular signaling, gene expression and may cause changes in dendritic structure in neurons. Genome wide studies have shown that acute sleep deprivation alters gene transcription, although the pool of genes affected varies between brain regions. More recently, advances in research have drawn attention to differences in gene regulation between the level of the transcriptome compared with the pool of mRNA associated with ribosomes for protein translation following sleep deprivation. Thus, in addition to transcriptional changes, sleep deprivation also affects downstream processes to alter protein translation. In this review, we focus on the multiple levels through which acute sleep deprivation impacts gene regulation, highlighting potential post-transcriptional and translational processes that may be affected by sleep deprivation. Understanding the multiple levels of gene regulation impacted by sleep deprivation is essential for future development of therapeutics that may mitigate the effects of sleep loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Lyons
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Yann Vanrobaeys
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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45
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Sebastian R, Jin K, Pavon N, Bansal R, Potter A, Song Y, Babu J, Gabriel R, Sun Y, Aronow B, Pak C. Schizophrenia-associated NRXN1 deletions induce developmental-timing- and cell-type-specific vulnerabilities in human brain organoids. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3770. [PMID: 37355690 PMCID: PMC10290702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
De novo mutations and copy number deletions in NRXN1 (2p16.3) pose a significant risk for schizophrenia (SCZ). It is unclear how NRXN1 deletions impact cortical development in a cell type-specific manner and disease background modulates these phenotypes. Here, we leveraged human pluripotent stem cell-derived forebrain organoid models carrying NRXN1 heterozygous deletions in isogenic and SCZ patient genetic backgrounds and conducted single-cell transcriptomic analysis over the course of brain organoid development from 3 weeks to 3.5 months. Intriguingly, while both deletions similarly impacted molecular pathways associated with ubiquitin-proteasome system, alternative splicing, and synaptic signaling in maturing glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, SCZ-NRXN1 deletions specifically perturbed developmental trajectories of early neural progenitors and accumulated disease-specific transcriptomic signatures. Using calcium imaging, we found that both deletions led to long-lasting changes in spontaneous and synchronous neuronal networks, implicating synaptic dysfunction. Our study reveals developmental-timing- and cell-type-dependent actions of NRXN1 deletions in unique genetic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sebastian
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience & Behavior, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kang Jin
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Narciso Pavon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Ruby Bansal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Andrew Potter
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Yoonjae Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Juliana Babu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Rafael Gabriel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Yubing Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Bruce Aronow
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45256, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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46
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Ibrahim LA, Wamsley B, Alghamdi N, Yusuf N, Sevier E, Hairston A, Sherer M, Jaglin XH, Xu Q, Guo L, Khodadadi-Jamayran A, Favuzzi E, Yuan Y, Dimidschstein J, Darnell RB, Fishell G. Nova proteins direct synaptic integration of somatostatin interneurons through activity-dependent alternative splicing. eLife 2023; 12:e86842. [PMID: 37347149 PMCID: PMC10287156 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin interneurons are the earliest born population of cortical inhibitory cells. They are crucial to support normal brain development and function; however, the mechanisms underlying their integration into nascent cortical circuitry are not well understood. In this study, we begin by demonstrating that the maturation of somatostatin interneurons in mouse somatosensory cortex is activity dependent. We then investigated the relationship between activity, alternative splicing, and synapse formation within this population. Specifically, we discovered that the Nova family of RNA-binding proteins are activity-dependent and are essential for the maturation of somatostatin interneurons, as well as their afferent and efferent connectivity. Within this population, Nova2 preferentially mediates the alternative splicing of genes required for axonal formation and synaptic function independently from its effect on gene expression. Hence, our work demonstrates that the Nova family of proteins through alternative splicing are centrally involved in coupling developmental neuronal activity to cortical circuit formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Ali Ibrahim
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
| | - Brie Wamsley
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Smilow Research Center, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Norah Alghamdi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)ThuwalSaudi Arabia
| | - Nusrath Yusuf
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Smilow Research Center, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Elaine Sevier
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
| | - Ariel Hairston
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Mia Sherer
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
| | - Xavier Hubert Jaglin
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Smilow Research Center, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Qing Xu
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York UniversityAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Lihua Guo
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, New York UniversityAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates
| | - Alireza Khodadadi-Jamayran
- Genome Technology Center, Applied Bioinformatics Laboratories, NYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Emilia Favuzzi
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | | | - Robert B Darnell
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Gordon Fishell
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Stanley Center at the BroadCambridgeUnited States
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47
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Ruan X, Hu K, Zhang X. PIE-seq: identifying RNA-binding protein targets by dual RNA-deaminase editing and sequencing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3275. [PMID: 37280234 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39054-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are essential for gene regulation, but it remains a challenge to identify their RNA targets across cell types. Here we present PIE-Seq to investigate Protein-RNA Interaction with dual-deaminase Editing and Sequencing by conjugating C-to-U and A-to-I base editors to RBPs. We benchmark PIE-Seq and demonstrate its sensitivity in single cells, its application in the developing brain, and its scalability with 25 human RBPs. Bulk PIE-Seq identifies canonical binding features for RBPs such as PUM2 and NOVA1, and nominates additional target genes for most tested RBPs such as SRSF1 and TDP-43/TARDBP. Homologous RBPs frequently edit similar sequences and gene sets in PIE-Seq while different RBP families show distinct targets. Single-cell PIE-PUM2 uncovers comparable targets to bulk samples and applying PIE-PUM2 to the developing mouse neocortex identifies neural-progenitor- and neuron-specific target genes such as App. In summary, PIE-Seq provides an orthogonal approach and resource to uncover RBP targets in mice and human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangbin Ruan
- Department of Human Genetics and The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kaining Hu
- Department of Human Genetics and The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Xiaochang Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics and The Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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48
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Yang R, Feng X, Arias-Cavieres A, Mitchell RM, Polo A, Hu K, Zhong R, Qi C, Zhang RS, Westneat N, Portillo CA, Nobrega MA, Hansel C, Garcia Iii AJ, Zhang X. Upregulation of SYNGAP1 expression in mice and human neurons by redirecting alternative splicing. Neuron 2023; 111:1637-1650.e5. [PMID: 36917980 PMCID: PMC10198817 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
The Ras GTPase-activating protein SYNGAP1 plays a central role in synaptic plasticity, and de novo SYNGAP1 mutations are among the most frequent causes of autism and intellectual disability. How SYNGAP1 is regulated during development and how to treat SYNGAP1-associated haploinsufficiency remain challenging questions. Here, we characterize an alternative 3' splice site (A3SS) of SYNGAP1 that induces nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (A3SS-NMD) in mouse and human neural development. We demonstrate that PTBP1/2 directly bind to and promote SYNGAP1 A3SS inclusion. Genetic deletion of the Syngap1 A3SS in mice upregulates Syngap1 protein and alleviates the long-term potentiation and membrane excitability deficits caused by a Syngap1 knockout allele. We further report a splice-switching oligonucleotide (SSO) that converts SYNGAP1 unproductive isoform to the functional form in human iPSC-derived neurons. This study describes the regulation and function of SYNGAP1 A3SS-NMD, the genetic rescue of heterozygous Syngap1 knockout mice, and the development of an SSO to potentially alleviate SYNGAP1-associated haploinsufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runwei Yang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xinran Feng
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alejandra Arias-Cavieres
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Robin M Mitchell
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ashleigh Polo
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Kaining Hu
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rong Zhong
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cai Qi
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rachel S Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nathaniel Westneat
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Cristabel A Portillo
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Marcelo A Nobrega
- Department of Human Genetics, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Christian Hansel
- Department of Neurobiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alfredo J Garcia Iii
- Section of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, Institute for Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiaochang Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, Neuroscience Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
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49
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Dawicki-McKenna JM, Felix AJ, Waxman EA, Cheng C, Amado DA, Ranum PT, Bogush A, Dungan LV, Maguire JA, Gagne AL, Heller EA, French DL, Davidson BL, Prosser BL. Mapping PTBP2 binding in human brain identifies SYNGAP1 as a target for therapeutic splice switching. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2628. [PMID: 37149717 PMCID: PMC10164156 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38273-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing of neuronal genes is controlled partly by the coordinated action of polypyrimidine tract binding proteins (PTBPs). While PTBP1 is ubiquitously expressed, PTBP2 is predominantly neuronal. Here, we define the PTBP2 footprint in the human transcriptome using brain tissue and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (iPSC-neurons). We map PTBP2 binding sites, characterize PTBP2-dependent alternative splicing events, and identify novel PTBP2 targets including SYNGAP1, a synaptic gene whose loss-of-function leads to a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. We find that PTBP2 binding to SYNGAP1 mRNA promotes alternative splicing and nonsense-mediated decay, and that antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that disrupt PTBP binding redirect splicing and increase SYNGAP1 mRNA and protein expression. In SYNGAP1 haploinsufficient iPSC-neurons generated from two patients, we show that PTBP2-targeting ASOs partially restore SYNGAP1 expression. Our data comprehensively map PTBP2-dependent alternative splicing in human neurons and cerebral cortex, guiding development of novel therapeutic tools to benefit neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennine M Dawicki-McKenna
- Department of Physiology, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alex J Felix
- Department of Physiology, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elisa A Waxman
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Congsheng Cheng
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Defne A Amado
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Paul T Ranum
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alexey Bogush
- Department of Physiology, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Lea V Dungan
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jean Ann Maguire
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Alyssa L Gagne
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Deborah L French
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Benjamin L Prosser
- Department of Physiology, Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Center for Epilepsy and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENDD), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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50
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LaForce GR, Philippidou P, Schaffer AE. mRNA isoform balance in neuronal development and disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1762. [PMID: 36123820 PMCID: PMC10024649 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Balanced mRNA isoform diversity and abundance are spatially and temporally regulated throughout cellular differentiation. The proportion of expressed isoforms contributes to cell type specification and determines key properties of the differentiated cells. Neurons are unique cell types with intricate developmental programs, characteristic cellular morphologies, and electrophysiological potential. Neuron-specific gene expression programs establish these distinctive cellular characteristics and drive diversity among neuronal subtypes. Genes with neuron-specific alternative processing are enriched in key neuronal functions, including synaptic proteins, adhesion molecules, and scaffold proteins. Despite the similarity of neuronal gene expression programs, each neuronal subclass can be distinguished by unique alternative mRNA processing events. Alternative processing of developmentally important transcripts alters coding and regulatory information, including interaction domains, transcript stability, subcellular localization, and targeting by RNA binding proteins. Fine-tuning of mRNA processing is essential for neuronal activity and maintenance. Thus, the focus of neuronal RNA biology research is to dissect the transcriptomic mechanisms that underlie neuronal homeostasis, and consequently, predispose neuronal subtypes to disease. This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneva R LaForce
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Polyxeni Philippidou
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ashleigh E Schaffer
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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