1
|
Wang S, Cai Y, Li T, Wang Y, Bao Z, Wang R, Qin J, Wang Z, Liu Y, Liu Z, Chan W, Chen X, Lu G, Chen Z, Huang T, Liu H. CWF19L2 is Essential for Male Fertility and Spermatogenesis by Regulating Alternative Splicing. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2403866. [PMID: 38889293 PMCID: PMC11336944 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202403866] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The progression of spermatogenesis along specific developmental trajectories depends on the coordinated regulation of pre-mRNA alternative splicing (AS) at the post-transcriptional level. However, the fundamental mechanism of AS in spermatogenesis remains to be investigated. Here, it is demonstrated that CWF19L2 plays a pivotal role in spermatogenesis and male fertility. In germline conditional Cwf19l2 knockout mice exhibiting male sterility, impaired spermatogenesis characterized by increased apoptosis and decreased differentiated spermatogonia and spermatocytes is observed. That CWF19L2 interacted with several spliceosome proteins to participate in the proper assembly and stability of the spliceosome is discovered. By integrating RNA-seq and LACE-seq data, it is further confirmed CWF19L2 directly bound and regulated the splicing of genes related to spermatogenesis (Znhit1, Btrc, and Fbxw7) and RNA splicing (Rbfox1, Celf1, and Rbm10). Additionally, CWF19L2 can indirectly amplify its effect on splicing regulation through modulating RBFOX1. Collectively, this research establishes that CWF19L2 orchestrates a splicing factor network to ensure accurate pre-mRNA splicing during the early steps of spermatogenesis.
Collapse
|
2
|
Zorn P, Calvo Sánchez J, Alakhras T, Schreier B, Gekle M, Hüttelmaier S, Köhn M. Rbfox1 controls alternative splicing of focal adhesion genes in cardiac muscle cells. J Mol Cell Biol 2024; 16:mjae003. [PMID: 38253401 PMCID: PMC11216089 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjae003] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is one of the major cellular processes that determine the tissue-specific expression of protein variants. However, it remains challenging to identify physiologically relevant and tissue-selective proteins that are generated by alternative splicing. Hence, we investigated the target spectrum of the splicing factor Rbfox1 in the cardiac muscle context in more detail. By using a combination of in silico target prediction and in-cell validation, we identified several focal adhesion proteins as alternative splicing targets of Rbfox1. We focused on the alternative splicing patterns of vinculin (metavinculin isoform) and paxillin (extended paxillin isoform) and identified both as potential Rbfox1 targets. Minigene analyses suggested that both isoforms are promoted by Rbfox1 due to binding in the introns. Focal adhesions play an important role in the cardiac muscle context, since they mainly influence cell shape, cytoskeletal organization, and cell-matrix association. Our data confirmed that depletion of Rbfox1 changed cardiomyoblast morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and multinuclearity after differentiation, which might be due to changes in alternative splicing of focal adhesion proteins. Hence, our results indicate that Rbfox1 promotes alternative splicing of focal adhesion genes in cardiac muscle cells, which might contribute to heart disease progression, where downregulation of Rbfox1 is frequently observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zorn
- Junior Group ‘Non-coding RNAs and RBPs in Human Diseases’, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jaime Calvo Sánchez
- Junior Group ‘Non-coding RNAs and RBPs in Human Diseases’, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Tala Alakhras
- Junior Group ‘Non-coding RNAs and RBPs in Human Diseases’, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Barbara Schreier
- Julius Bernstein Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Michael Gekle
- Julius Bernstein Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stefan Hüttelmaier
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Marcel Köhn
- Junior Group ‘Non-coding RNAs and RBPs in Human Diseases’, Medical Faculty, University of Halle–Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Verma SK, Kuyumcu-Martinez MN. RNA binding proteins in cardiovascular development and disease. Curr Top Dev Biol 2024; 156:51-119. [PMID: 38556427 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2024.01.007] [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] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect affecting>1.35 million newborn babies worldwide. CHD can lead to prenatal, neonatal, postnatal lethality or life-long cardiac complications. RNA binding protein (RBP) mutations or variants are emerging as contributors to CHDs. RBPs are wizards of gene regulation and are major contributors to mRNA and protein landscape. However, not much is known about RBPs in the developing heart and their contributions to CHD. In this chapter, we will discuss our current knowledge about specific RBPs implicated in CHDs. We are in an exciting era to study RBPs using the currently available and highly successful RNA-based therapies and methodologies. Understanding how RBPs shape the developing heart will unveil their contributions to CHD. Identifying their target RNAs in the embryonic heart will ultimately lead to RNA-based treatments for congenital heart disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunil K Verma
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA, United States.
| | - Muge N Kuyumcu-Martinez
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine Charlottesville, VA, United States; Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United States; University of Virginia Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mukherjee A, Nongthomba U. To RNA-binding and beyond: Emerging facets of the role of Rbfox proteins in development and disease. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023:e1813. [PMID: 37661850 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The RNA-binding Fox-1 homologue (Rbfox) proteins represent an ancient family of splicing factors, conserved through evolution. All members share an RNA recognition motif (RRM), and a particular affinity for the GCAUG signature in target RNA molecules. The role of Rbfox, as a splice factor, deciding the tissue-specific inclusion/exclusion of an exon, depending on its binding position on the flanking introns, is well known. Rbfox often acts in concert with other splicing factors, and forms splicing regulatory networks. Apart from this canonical role, recent studies show that Rbfox can also function as a transcription co-factor, and affects mRNA stability and translation. The repertoire of Rbfox targets is vast, including genes involved in the development of tissue lineages, such as neurogenesis, myogenesis, and erythropoeiesis, and molecular processes, including cytoskeletal dynamics, and calcium handling. A second layer of complexity is added by the fact that Rbfox expression itself is regulated by multiple mechanisms, and, in vertebrates, exhibits tissue-specific expression. The optimum dosage of Rbfox is critical, and its misexpression is etiological to various disease conditions. In this review, we discuss the contextual roles played by Rbfox as a tissue-specific regulator for the expression of many important genes with diverse functions, through the lens of the emerging data which highlights its involvement in many human diseases. Furthermore, we explore the mechanistic details provided by studies in model organisms, with emphasis on the work with Drosophila. This article is categorized under: RNA Processing > Splicing Mechanisms RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amartya Mukherjee
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Upendra Nongthomba
- Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Siecinski SK, Giamberardino SN, Spanos M, Hauser AC, Gibson JR, Chandrasekhar T, Trelles MDP, Rockhill CM, Palumbo ML, Cundiff AW, Montgomery A, Siper P, Minjarez M, Nowinski LA, Marler S, Kwee LC, Shuffrey LC, Alderman C, Weissman J, Zappone B, Mullett JE, Crosson H, Hong N, Luo S, She L, Bhapkar M, Dean R, Scheer A, Johnson JL, King BH, McDougle CJ, Sanders KB, Kim SJ, Kolevzon A, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Hauser ER, Sikich L, Gregory SG. Genetic and epigenetic signatures associated with plasma oxytocin levels in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2023; 16:502-523. [PMID: 36609850 PMCID: PMC10023458 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT), the brain's most abundant neuropeptide, plays an important role in social salience and motivation. Clinical trials of the efficacy of OT in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reported mixed results due in part to ASD's complex etiology. We investigated whether genetic and epigenetic variation contribute to variable endogenous OT levels that modulate sensitivity to OT therapy. To carry out this analysis, we integrated genome-wide profiles of DNA-methylation, transcriptional activity, and genetic variation with plasma OT levels in 290 participants with ASD enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of OT. Our analysis identified genetic variants with novel association with plasma OT, several of which reside in known ASD risk genes. We also show subtle but statistically significant association of plasma OT levels with peripheral transcriptional activity and DNA-methylation profiles across several annotated gene sets. These findings broaden our understanding of the effects of the peripheral oxytocin system and provide novel genetic candidates for future studies to decode the complex etiology of ASD and its interaction with OT signaling and OT-based interventions. LAY SUMMARY: Oxytocin (OT) is an abundant chemical produced by neurons that plays an important role in social interaction and motivation. We investigated whether genetic and epigenetic factors contribute to variable OT levels in the blood. To this, we integrated genetic, gene expression, and non-DNA regulated (epigenetic) signatures with blood OT levels in 290 participants with autism enrolled in an OT clinical trial. We identified genetic association with plasma OT, several of which reside in known autism risk genes. We also show statistically significant association of plasma OT levels with gene expression and epigenetic across several gene pathways. These findings broaden our understanding of the factors that influence OT levels in the blood for future studies to decode the complex presentation of autism and its interaction with OT and OT-based treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen K Siecinski
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Marina Spanos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Annalise C Hauser
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jason R Gibson
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tara Chandrasekhar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - M D Pilar Trelles
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carol M Rockhill
- Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michelle L Palumbo
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Paige Siper
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mendy Minjarez
- Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lisa A Nowinski
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Marler
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lydia C Kwee
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Cheryl Alderman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jordana Weissman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brooke Zappone
- Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Mullett
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hope Crosson
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Hong
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheng Luo
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lilin She
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Manjushri Bhapkar
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Russell Dean
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Abby Scheer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacqueline L Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bryan H King
- Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christopher J McDougle
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin B Sanders
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Soo-Jeong Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth R Hauser
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Linmarie Sikich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen S, Niu S, Wang W, Zhao X, Pan Y, Qiao L, Yang K, Liu J, Liu W. Overexpression of the QKI Gene Promotes Differentiation of Goat Myoblasts into Myotubes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040725. [PMID: 36830512 PMCID: PMC9952742 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The QKI genes encode RNA-binding proteins regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The Goat QKI has six isoforms, but their roles in myogenesis are unclear. In this study, the six isoforms of the QKI gene were overexpressed in goat myoblast. Immunofluorescence, qPCR and Western blot were used to evaluate the effect of QKI on the differentiation of goat myoblast. An RNA-Seq was performed on the cells with the gain of the function from the major isoforms to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The results show that six isoforms had different degrees of deletion in exons 6 and 7, and caused the appearance of different types of encoded amino acids. The expression levels of the QKI-1 and QKI-5 groups were upregulated in the biceps femoris and latissimus dorsi muscle tissues compared with those of the QKI-4, QKI-7, QKI-3 and QKI-6 groups. After 6 d of myoblast differentiation, QKI-5 and the myogenic differentiators MyoG, MyoD, and MyHC were upregulated. Compared to the negative control group, QKI promoted myotube differentiation and the myoblasts overexpressing QKI-5 formed large, abundant myotubes. In summary, we identified that the overexpression of the QKI gene promotes goat-myoblast differentiation and that QKI-5 is the major isoform, with a key role. The RNA-Seq screened 76 upregulated and 123 downregulated DEGs between the negative control and the QKI-5-overexpressing goat myoblasts after d 6 of differentiation. The GO and KEGG analyses associated the downregulated DEGs with muscle-related biological functions. Only the pathways related to muscle growth and development were enriched. This study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the regulatory mechanism of QKI in skeletal-muscle development in goats.
Collapse
|
7
|
vanLieshout TL, Stouth DW, Hartel NG, Vasam G, Ng SY, Webb EK, Rebalka IA, Mikhail AI, Graham NA, Menzies KJ, Hawke TJ, Ljubicic V. The CARM1 transcriptome and arginine methylproteome mediate skeletal muscle integrative biology. Mol Metab 2022; 64:101555. [PMID: 35872306 PMCID: PMC9379683 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) catalyzes the methylation of arginine residues on target proteins to regulate critical processes in health and disease. A mechanistic understanding of the role(s) of CARM1 in skeletal muscle biology is only gradually emerging. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the function of CARM1 in regulating the maintenance and plasticity of skeletal muscle. METHODS We used transcriptomic, methylproteomic, molecular, functional, and integrative physiological approaches to determine the specific impact of CARM1 in muscle homeostasis. RESULTS Our data defines the occurrence of arginine methylation in skeletal muscle and demonstrates that this mark occurs on par with phosphorylation and ubiquitination. CARM1 skeletal muscle-specific knockout (mKO) mice displayed altered transcriptomic and arginine methylproteomic signatures with molecular and functional outcomes confirming remodeled skeletal muscle contractile and neuromuscular junction characteristics, which presaged decreased exercise tolerance. Moreover, CARM1 regulates AMPK-PGC-1α signalling during acute conditions of activity-induced muscle plasticity. CONCLUSIONS This study uncovers the broad impact of CARM1 in the maintenance and remodelling of skeletal muscle biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Derek W Stouth
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Nicolas G Hartel
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Goutham Vasam
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Sean Y Ng
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Erin K Webb
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Irena A Rebalka
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Andrew I Mikhail
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Nicholas A Graham
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Keir J Menzies
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada; Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology and the Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, K1H 8M5, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Thomas J Hawke
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Vladimir Ljubicic
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Alternative splicing diversifies the skeletal muscle transcriptome during prolonged spaceflight. Skelet Muscle 2022; 12:11. [PMID: 35642060 PMCID: PMC9153194 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-022-00294-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the interest in manned spaceflight increases, so does the requirement to understand the transcriptomic mechanisms that underlay the detrimental physiological adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity. While microgravity-induced differential gene expression (DGE) has been extensively investigated, the contribution of differential alternative splicing (DAS) to the plasticity and functional status of the skeletal muscle transcriptome has not been studied in an animal model. Therefore, by evaluating both DGE and DAS across spaceflight, we set out to provide the first comprehensive characterization of the transcriptomic landscape of skeletal muscle during exposure to microgravity. METHODS RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and morphological analyses were conducted utilizing total RNA and tissue sections isolated from the gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles of 30-week-old female BALB/c mice exposed to microgravity or ground control conditions for 9 weeks. RESULTS In response to microgravity, the skeletal muscle transcriptome was remodeled via both DGE and DAS. Importantly, while DGE showed variable gene network enrichment, DAS was enriched in structural and functional gene networks of skeletal muscle, resulting in the expression of alternatively spliced transcript isoforms that have been associated with the physiological changes to skeletal muscle in microgravity, including muscle atrophy and altered fiber type function. Finally, RNA-binding proteins, which are required for regulation of pre-mRNA splicing, were themselves differentially spliced but not differentially expressed, an upstream event that is speculated to account for the downstream splicing changes identified in target skeletal muscle genes. CONCLUSIONS Our work serves as the first investigation of coordinate changes in DGE and DAS in large limb muscles across spaceflight. It opens up a new opportunity to understand (i) the molecular mechanisms by which splice variants of skeletal muscle genes regulate the physiological adaptations of skeletal muscle to microgravity and (ii) how small molecule splicing regulator therapies might thwart muscle atrophy and alterations to fiber type function during prolonged spaceflight.
Collapse
|
9
|
Militello R, Pinto G, Illiano A, Luti S, Magherini F, Amoresano A, Modesti PA, Modesti A. Modulation of Plasma Proteomic Profile by Regular Training in Male and Female Basketball Players: A Preliminary Study. Front Physiol 2022; 13:813447. [PMID: 35360242 PMCID: PMC8964093 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.813447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring fatigue and recovery during training periods contributes to identifying the best training methods to achieve sports performance. To date, little is known about sex-related differences in sports adaptations. The aim of the present study is to identify sex-related sports adaptation proteins in female basketball players and male basketball players using proteomics approach on plasma samples withdrawn from athletes during in-season training period but far from a competition. A cohort of 20 professional basketball players, 10 female (BF) and 10 male (BM), and 20 sedentary male (10 CM) and female (10 CF) as control, of comparable age and BMI, were involved in this study. Protein profiles of plasma samples obtained from BM, BF, CM, and CF were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The computational 2-DE gel image analysis pointed out 33 differentially expressed protein spots (ANOVA p-value < 0.05) and differences between male and female basketball players are more evident among the players than controls. The expression profile of 54.5% of the total proteins is affected by sports activity. Furthermore, 14 proteins are differentially expressed in basket female players in comparison with their relative controls while seven are differentially expressed in basket male players in comparison with their controls. In conclusion, we identify in female athletes a reduction in proteins related to transcription regulation, most of these modulate chronic inflammation confirming the anti-inflammatory effect of regular training in female muscle metabolism. In male and female athletes, we found a decrease in Transthyretin involved in muscle homeostasis and regeneration and Dermcidin a stress-induced myokine linked to inflammatory and it will be interesting to fully understand the role of its different isoforms in male and female skeletal muscle contraction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosamaria Militello
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio," University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pinto
- Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemical Sciences, Polytechnic and Basic Sciences School, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Illiano
- Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemical Sciences, Polytechnic and Basic Sciences School, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Luti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio," University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Magherini
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio," University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Pietro Amedeo Modesti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandra Modesti
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences "Mario Serio," University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Benegas G, Fischer J, Song YS. Robust and annotation-free analysis of alternative splicing across diverse cell types in mice. eLife 2022; 11:73520. [PMID: 35229721 PMCID: PMC8975553 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although alternative splicing is a fundamental and pervasive aspect of gene expression in higher eukaryotes, it is often omitted from single-cell studies due to quantification challenges inherent to commonly used short-read sequencing technologies. Here, we undertake the analysis of alternative splicing across numerous diverse murine cell types from two large-scale single-cell datasets-the Tabula Muris and BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network-while accounting for understudied technical artifacts and unannotated events. We find strong and general cell-type-specific alternative splicing, complementary to total gene expression but of similar discriminatory value, and identify a large volume of novel splicing events. We specifically highlight splicing variation across different cell types in primary motor cortex neurons, bone marrow B cells, and various epithelial cells, and we show that the implicated transcripts include many genes which do not display total expression differences. To elucidate the regulation of alternative splicing, we build a custom predictive model based on splicing factor activity, recovering several known interactions while generating new hypotheses, including potential regulatory roles for novel alternative splicing events in critical genes like Khdrbs3 and Rbfox1. We make our results available using public interactive browsers to spur further exploration by the community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Benegas
- Graduate Group in Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Jonathan Fischer
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Yun S Song
- Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
The Splicing of the Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Genuine Activator MICU1 Is Driven by RBFOX2 Splicing Factor during Myogenic Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052517. [PMID: 35269658 PMCID: PMC8909990 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing, the process by which exons within a pre-mRNA transcript are differentially joined or skipped, is crucial in skeletal muscle since it is required both during myogenesis and in post-natal life to reprogram the transcripts of contractile proteins, metabolic enzymes, and transcription factors in functionally distinct muscle fiber types. The importance of such events is underlined by the numerosity of pathological conditions caused by alternative splicing aberrations. Importantly, many skeletal muscle Ca2+ homeostasis genes are also regulated by alternative splicing mechanisms, among which is the Mitochondrial Ca2+ Uniporter (MCU) genuine activator MICU1 which regulates MCU opening upon cell stimulation. We have previously shown that murine skeletal muscle MICU1 is subjected to alternative splicing, thereby generating a splice variant-which was named MICU1.1-that confers unique properties to the mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and ensuring sufficient ATP production for muscle contraction. Here we extended the analysis of MICU1 alternative splicing to human tissues, finding two additional splicing variants that were characterized by their ability to regulate mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. Furthermore, we found that MICU1 alternative splicing is induced during myogenesis by the splicing factor RBFOX2. These results highlight the complexity of the alternative splicing mechanisms in skeletal muscle and the regulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ among tissues.
Collapse
|
12
|
Nikonova E, Mukherjee A, Kamble K, Barz C, Nongthomba U, Spletter ML. Rbfox1 is required for myofibril development and maintaining fiber type-specific isoform expression in Drosophila muscles. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/4/e202101342. [PMID: 34996845 PMCID: PMC8742874 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein isoform transitions confer muscle fibers with distinct properties and are regulated by differential transcription and alternative splicing. RNA-binding Fox protein 1 (Rbfox1) can affect both transcript levels and splicing, and is known to contribute to normal muscle development and physiology in vertebrates, although the detailed mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we report that Rbfox1 contributes to the generation of adult muscle diversity in Drosophila Rbfox1 is differentially expressed among muscle fiber types, and RNAi knockdown causes a hypercontraction phenotype that leads to behavioral and eclosion defects. Misregulation of fiber type-specific gene and splice isoform expression, notably loss of an indirect flight muscle-specific isoform of Troponin-I that is critical for regulating myosin activity, leads to structural defects. We further show that Rbfox1 directly binds the 3'-UTR of target transcripts, regulates the expression level of myogenic transcription factors myocyte enhancer factor 2 and Salm, and both modulates expression of and genetically interacts with the CELF family RNA-binding protein Bruno1 (Bru1). Rbfox1 and Bru1 co-regulate fiber type-specific alternative splicing of structural genes, indicating that regulatory interactions between FOX and CELF family RNA-binding proteins are conserved in fly muscle. Rbfox1 thus affects muscle development by regulating fiber type-specific splicing and expression dynamics of identity genes and structural proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Nikonova
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Amartya Mukherjee
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ketaki Kamble
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Christiane Barz
- Muscle Dynamics Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Upendra Nongthomba
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics (MRDG), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Maria L Spletter
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jansen K, Shikama-Dorn N, Attar M, Maio S, Lopopolo M, Buck D, Holländer GA, Sansom SN. RBFOX splicing factors contribute to a broad but selective recapitulation of peripheral tissue splicing patterns in the thymus. Genome Res 2021; 31:2022-2034. [PMID: 34649931 PMCID: PMC8559713 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275245.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Thymic epithelial cells (TEC) control the selection of a T cell repertoire reactive to pathogens but tolerant of self. This process is known to involve the promiscuous expression of virtually the entire protein-coding gene repertoire, but the extent to which TEC recapitulate peripheral isoforms, and the mechanisms by which they do so, remain largely unknown. We performed the first assembly-based transcriptomic census of transcript structures and splicing factor (SF) expression in mouse medullary TEC (mTEC) and 21 peripheral tissues. Mature mTEC expressed 60.1% of all protein-coding transcripts, more than was detected in any of the peripheral tissues. However, for genes with tissue-restricted expression, mTEC produced fewer isoforms than did the relevant peripheral tissues. Analysis of exon inclusion revealed an absence of brain-specific microexons in mTEC. We did not find unusual numbers of novel transcripts in TEC, and we show that Aire, the facilitator of promiscuous gene expression, promotes the generation of long “classical” transcripts (with 5′ and 3′ UTRs) but has only a limited impact on alternative splicing in mTEC. Comprehensive assessment of SF expression in mTEC identified a small set of nonpromiscuously expressed SF genes, among which we confirmed RBFOX to be present with AIRE in mTEC nuclei. Using a conditional loss-of-function approach, we show that Rbfox2 promotes mTEC development and regulates the alternative splicing of promiscuously expressed genes. These data indicate that TEC recommission a small number of peripheral SFs, including members of the RBFOX family, to generate a broad but selective representation of the peripheral splice isoform repertoire.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Jansen
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom.,Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Noriko Shikama-Dorn
- The University Children's Hospital of Basel and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Moustafa Attar
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom.,Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Lopopolo
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - David Buck
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom.,The University Children's Hospital of Basel and the Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Stephen N Sansom
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Shi DL, Grifone R. RNA-Binding Proteins in the Post-transcriptional Control of Skeletal Muscle Development, Regeneration and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:738978. [PMID: 34616743 PMCID: PMC8488162 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.738978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic myogenesis is a temporally and spatially regulated process that generates skeletal muscle of the trunk and limbs. During this process, mononucleated myoblasts derived from myogenic progenitor cells within the somites undergo proliferation, migration and differentiation to elongate and fuse into multinucleated functional myofibers. Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue of the body and has the remarkable ability to self-repair by re-activating the myogenic program in muscle stem cells, known as satellite cells. Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression mediated by RNA-binding proteins is critically required for muscle development during embryogenesis and for muscle homeostasis in the adult. Differential subcellular localization and activity of RNA-binding proteins orchestrates target gene expression at multiple levels to regulate different steps of myogenesis. Dysfunctions of these post-transcriptional regulators impair muscle development and homeostasis, but also cause defects in motor neurons or the neuromuscular junction, resulting in muscle degeneration and neuromuscular disease. Many RNA-binding proteins, such as members of the muscle blind-like (MBNL) and CUG-BP and ETR-3-like factors (CELF) families, display both overlapping and distinct targets in muscle cells. Thus they function either cooperatively or antagonistically to coordinate myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Evidence is accumulating that the dynamic interplay of their regulatory activity may control the progression of myogenic program as well as stem cell quiescence and activation. Moreover, the role of RNA-binding proteins that regulate post-transcriptional modification in the myogenic program is far less understood as compared with transcription factors involved in myogenic specification and differentiation. Here we review past achievements and recent advances in understanding the functions of RNA-binding proteins during skeletal muscle development, regeneration and disease, with the aim to identify the fundamental questions that are still open for further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- De-Li Shi
- Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Developmental Biology Laboratory, CNRS-UMR 7622, Institut de Biologie de Paris-Seine, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Raphaëlle Grifone
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, CNRS-UMR 7622, Institut de Biologie de Paris-Seine, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mérien A, Tahraoui-Bories J, Cailleret M, Dupont JB, Leteur C, Polentes J, Carteron A, Polvèche H, Concordet JP, Pinset C, Jarrige M, Furling D, Martinat C. CRISPR gene editing in pluripotent stem cells reveals the function of MBNL proteins during human in vitro myogenesis. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 31:41-56. [PMID: 34312665 PMCID: PMC8682758 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing has emerged as a fundamental mechanism for the spatiotemporal control of development. A better understanding of how this mechanism is regulated has the potential not only to elucidate fundamental biological principles, but also to decipher pathological mechanisms implicated in diseases where normal splicing networks are misregulated. Here, we took advantage of human pluripotent stem cells to decipher during human myogenesis the role of muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins, a family of tissue-specific splicing regulators whose loss of function is associated with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), an inherited neuromuscular disease. Thanks to the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) depleted in MBNL proteins and evaluated the consequences of their losses on the generation of skeletal muscle cells. Our results suggested that MBNL proteins are required for the late myogenic maturation. In addition, loss of MBNL1 and MBNL2 recapitulated the main features of DM1 observed in hiPSC-derived skeletal muscle cells. Comparative transcriptomic analyses also revealed the muscle-related processes regulated by these proteins that are commonly misregulated in DM1. Together, our study reveals the temporal requirement of MBNL proteins in human myogenesis and should facilitate the identification of new therapeutic strategies capable to cope with the loss of function of these MBNL proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Mérien
- INSERM/UEPS UMR 861, Paris Saclay University, I-STEM, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Julie Tahraoui-Bories
- INSERM/UEPS UMR 861, Paris Saclay University, I-STEM, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Michel Cailleret
- INSERM/UEPS UMR 861, Paris Saclay University, I-STEM, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Dupont
- INSERM/UEPS UMR 861, Paris Saclay University, I-STEM, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Association Institut de Myologie, Centre de recherche en myologie, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Martinat
- INSERM/UEPS UMR 861, Paris Saclay University, I-STEM, 91100 Corbeil-Essonnes, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Williams AL, Walton CB, Pinell B, Khadka VS, Dunn B, Lee K, Anagaran MCT, Avelar A, Shohet RV. Ischemic heart injury leads to HIF1-dependent differential splicing of CaMK2γ. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13116. [PMID: 34162925 PMCID: PMC8222303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92426-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic heart disease is a leading cause of heart failure and hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF1) is a key transcription factor in the response to hypoxic injury. Our lab has developed a mouse model in which a mutated, oxygen-stable form of HIF1α (HIF-PPN) can be inducibly expressed in cardiomyocytes. We observed rapid cardiac dilation and loss of contractility in these mice due to lower expression of excitation-contraction coupling genes and reduced calcium flux. As alternative splicing plays an underappreciated role in transcriptional regulation, we used RNA sequencing to search for splicing changes in calcium-handling genes of HIF-PPN hearts and compared them to previous sequencing data from a model of myocardial infarction (MI) to select for transcripts that are modified in a pathological setting. We found overlap between genes differentially expressed in HIF-PPN and post-MI mice (54/131 genes upregulated in HIF-PPN hearts at 1 day and/or 3 days post-MI, and 45/78 downregulated), as well as changes in alternative splicing. Interestingly, calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II, gamma (CAMK2G) was alternatively spliced in both settings, with variant 1 (v1) substantially decreased compared to variants 2 (v2) and 3 (v3). These findings were also replicated in vitro when cells were transfected with HIF-PPN or exposed to hypoxia. Further analysis of CAMK2γ protein abundance revealed only v1 was detectable and substantially decreased up to 7 days post-MI. Rbfox1, a splicing factor of CAMK2G, was also decreased in HIF-PPN and post-MI hearts. Subcellular fractionation showed CAMK2γ v1 was found in the nuclear and cytoplasmic fractions, and abundance decreased in both fractions post-MI. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of HIF1 in post-MI hearts also demonstrated direct HIF1 binding to CAMK2G. CaMK2 is a key transducer of calcium signals in both physiological and pathological settings. The predominantly expressed isoform in the heart, CaMK2δ, has been extensively studied in cardiac injury, but the specific role of CaMK2γ is not well defined. Our data suggest that loss of CaMK2γ after MI is HIF1-dependent and may play an important role in the heart's calcium signaling and transcriptional response to hypoxia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Lesher Williams
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Chad B Walton
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Blake Pinell
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Vedbar S Khadka
- Bioinformatics Core, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Brandyn Dunn
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Katie Lee
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - M C Therese Anagaran
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Abigail Avelar
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Ralph V Shohet
- Center for Cardiovascular Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 651 Ilalo St. BSB 311, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Solovyeva EM, Ibebunjo C, Utzinger S, Eash JK, Dunbar A, Naumann U, Zhang Y, Serluca FC, Demirci S, Oberhauser B, Black F, Rausch M, Hoersch S, Meyer AS. New insights into molecular changes in skeletal muscle aging and disease: Differential alternative splicing and senescence. Mech Ageing Dev 2021; 197:111510. [PMID: 34019916 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2021.111510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Progressive loss of muscle mass and function due to muscle fiber atrophy and loss in the elderly and chronically ill is now defined as sarcopenia. It is a major contributor to loss of independence, disability, need of long-term care as well as overall mortality. Sarcopenia is a heterogenous disease and underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we newly identified and used Tmem158, alongside Cdkn1a, as relevant senescence and denervation markers (SDMs), associated with muscle fiber atrophy. Subsequent application of laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA analyses revealed age- and disease-associated differences in gene expression and alternative splicing patterns in a rodent sarcopenia model. Of note, genes exhibiting such differential alternative splicing (DAS) are mainly involved in the contractile function of the muscle. Many of these splicing events are also found in a mouse model for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), underscoring the premature aging phenotype of this disease. We propose to add differential alternative splicing to the hallmarks of aging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta M Solovyeva
- NIBR Informatics, 4056, Basel, Switzerland; V.L. Talrose Institute for Energy Problems of Chemical Physics, N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | | | - Stephan Utzinger
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Musculoskeletal Diseases, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - John K Eash
- NIBR, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Andrew Dunbar
- NIBR, Analytical Sciences and Imaging, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Naumann
- NIBR, Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yunyu Zhang
- NIBR, Musculoskeletal Diseases, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | | | - Sabrina Demirci
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Musculoskeletal Diseases, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Frederique Black
- NIBR, Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases, Cambridge, MA02139, USA
| | - Martin Rausch
- NIBR, Analytical Sciences and Imaging, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Angelika S Meyer
- Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research (NIBR), Musculoskeletal Diseases, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lee EJ, Neppl RL. Influence of Age on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy and Atrophy Signaling: Established Paradigms and Unexpected Links. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12050688. [PMID: 34063658 PMCID: PMC8147613 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Skeletal muscle atrophy in an inevitable occurrence with advancing age, and a consequence of disease including cancer. Muscle atrophy in the elderly is managed by a regimen of resistance exercise and increased protein intake. Understanding the signaling that regulates muscle mass may identify potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and reversal of muscle atrophy in metabolic and neuromuscular diseases. This review covers the major anabolic and catabolic pathways that regulate skeletal muscle mass, with a focus on recent progress and potential new players.
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhang M, Han Y, Liu J, Liu L, Zheng L, Chen Y, Xia R, Yao D, Cai X, Xu X. Rbm24 modulates adult skeletal muscle regeneration via regulation of alternative splicing. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:11159-11177. [PMID: 33042276 PMCID: PMC7532667 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The adult skeletal muscle can self-repair efficiently following mechanical or pathological damage due to its remarkable regenerative capacity. However, regulatory mechanisms underlying muscle regeneration are complicated and have not been fully elucidated. Alternative splicing (AS) is a major mechanism responsible for post-transcriptional regulation. Many aberrant AS events have been identified in patients with muscular dystrophy which is accompanied by abnormal muscle regeneration. However, little is known about the correlation between AS and muscle regeneration. It has been reported that RNA binding motif protein 24 (Rbm24), a tissue-specific splicing factor, is involved in embryo myogenesis while the role of Rbm24 in adult myogenesis (also called muscle regeneration) is poorly understood. Methods: To investigate the role of Rbm24 in adult skeletal muscle, we generated Rbm24 conditional knockout mice and satellite cell-specific knockout mice. Furthermore, a cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced injury model was utilized to assess the effects of Rbm24 on skeletal muscle regeneration. Genome-wide RNA-Seq was performed to identify the changes in AS following loss of Rbm24. Results: Rbm24 knockout mice displayed abnormal regeneration 4 months after tamoxifen treatment. Using RNA-Seq, we found that Rbm24 regulated a complex network of AS events involved in multiple biological processes, including myogenesis, muscle regeneration and muscle hypertrophy. Moreover, using a CTX-induced injury model, we showed that loss of Rbm24 in skeletal muscle resulted in myogenic fusion and differentiation defects and significantly delayed muscle regeneration. Furthermore, satellite cell-specific Rbm24 knockout mice recapitulated the defects in regeneration seen in the global Rbm24 knockout mice. Importantly, we demonstrated that Rbm24 regulated AS of Mef2d, Naca, Rock2 and Lrrfip1 which are essential for myogenic differentiation and muscle regeneration. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that Rbm24 regulates dynamic changes in AS and is essential for adult skeletal muscle regeneration.
Collapse
|
20
|
Microexons: at the nexus of nervous system development, behaviour and autism spectrum disorder. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 65:22-33. [PMID: 32535349 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and characterization of a network of highly conserved neuronal microexons has provided fundamental new insight into mechanisms underlying nervous system development and function, as well as an important basis for pathway convergence in autism spectrum disorder. In the past few years, considerable progress has been made in comprehensively determining the repertoires of factors that control neuronal microexons. These results have illuminated molecular mechanisms that activate the splicing of microexons, including those that control gene expression programs critical for neurogenesis, as well as synaptic protein translation and neuronal activity. Remarkably, individual disruption of specific microexons in these pathways results in autism-like phenotypes and cognitive impairment in mice. This review discusses these findings and their implications for delivering new therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.
Collapse
|
21
|
Rbfox-Splicing Factors Maintain Skeletal Muscle Mass by Regulating Calpain3 and Proteostasis. Cell Rep 2019; 24:197-208. [PMID: 29972780 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of skeletal muscle mass requires a dynamic balance between protein synthesis and tightly controlled protein degradation by the calpain, autophagy-lysosome, and ubiquitin-proteasome systems (proteostasis). Several sensing and gene-regulatory mechanisms act together to maintain this balance in response to changing conditions. Here, we show that deletion of the highly conserved Rbfox1 and Rbfox2 alternative splicing regulators in adult mouse skeletal muscle causes rapid, severe loss of muscle mass. Rbfox deletion did not cause a reduction in global protein synthesis, but it led to altered splicing of hundreds of gene transcripts, including capn3, which produced an active form of calpain3 protease. Rbfox knockout also led to a reduction in autophagy flux, likely producing a compensatory increase in general protein degradation by the proteasome. Our results indicate that the Rbfox-splicing factors are essential for the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass and proteostasis.
Collapse
|
22
|
More than a messenger: Alternative splicing as a therapeutic target. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:194395. [PMID: 31271898 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is an essential post- and co-transcriptional mechanism of gene expression regulation that produces multiple mature mRNA transcripts from a single gene. Genetic mutations that affect splicing underlie numerous devastating diseases. The complexity of splicing regulation allows for multiple therapeutic approaches to correct disease-associated mis-splicing events. In this review, we first highlight recent findings from therapeutic strategies that have used splice switching antisense oligonucleotides and small molecules that bind directly to RNA. Second, we summarize different genetic and chemical approaches to target components of the spliceosome to correct splicing defects in pathological conditions. Finally, we present an overview of compounds that target kinases and accessory pathways that intersect with the splicing machinery. Advancements in the understanding of disease-specific defects caused by mis-regulation of alternative splicing will certainly increase the development of therapeutic options for the clinic. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA structure and splicing regulation edited by Francisco Baralle, Ravindra Singh and Stefan Stamm.
Collapse
|
23
|
Alternative splicing induces cytoplasmic localization of RBFOX2 protein in calcific tendinopathy. Exp Mol Pathol 2019; 109:36-41. [PMID: 31128090 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexmp.2019.104264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Calcific tendinopathy (CT) is characterized by deposits of calcium, most commonly found in the shoulder tendons. The exact cause and pathogenesis of CT are not fully understood. This study analyzed the expression pattern of RNA-binding protein fox-1 homolog 2 (RBFOX2), a crucial splicing regulator in tissue differentiation. METHODS Normal and calcific tendons were compared for RBFOX2 mRNA level using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Intracellular localization of RBFOX2 protein was investigated using immunofluorescence microscopy. Normal and calcific tendon cDNAs were used to clone RBFOX2. Sequencing analysis identified coding sequences of the RBFOX2 isoform. RESULTS The intracellular localization of RBFOX2 protein differed with disease status, with RBFOX2 localized in the cytoplasm in calcific tendons and the nucleus in normal tendons. Analysis of the RBFOX2 protein-coding sequence showed that exon 10, responsible for nuclear localization, was absent in calcific tendons. Splicing of RBFOX2 target genes CHD2 and MBNL1 was significantly affected by cytoplasmic localization of RBFOX2 in calcific tendons. DISCUSSION Given the function of RBFOX2 as a splicing regulator in the nucleus, cytoplasmic localization of RBFOX2 protein in calcific tendons may have affected overall splicing events and altered gene expression. These results provide insights for comprehension of CT pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
24
|
Nikonova E, Kao SY, Ravichandran K, Wittner A, Spletter ML. Conserved functions of RNA-binding proteins in muscle. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2019; 110:29-49. [PMID: 30818081 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Animals require different types of muscle for survival, for example for circulation, motility, reproduction and digestion. Much emphasis in the muscle field has been placed on understanding how transcriptional regulation generates diverse types of muscle during development. Recent work indicates that alternative splicing and RNA regulation are as critical to muscle development, and altered function of RNA-binding proteins causes muscle disease. Although hundreds of genes predicted to bind RNA are expressed in muscles, many fewer have been functionally characterized. We present a cross-species view summarizing what is known about RNA-binding protein function in muscle, from worms and flies to zebrafish, mice and humans. In particular, we focus on alternative splicing regulated by the CELF, MBNL and RBFOX families of proteins. We discuss the systemic nature of diseases associated with loss of RNA-binding proteins in muscle, focusing on mis-regulation of CELF and MBNL in myotonic dystrophy. These examples illustrate the conservation of RNA-binding protein function and the marked utility of genetic model systems in understanding mechanisms of RNA regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Nikonova
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Shao-Yen Kao
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Keshika Ravichandran
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Anja Wittner
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany
| | - Maria L Spletter
- Biomedical Center, Department of Physiological Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University München, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152, Martinsried-Planegg, Germany; Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM) at the Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang Y, Gray DR, Robbins AK, Crowgey EL, Chanock SJ, Greene MH, McGlynn KA, Nathanson K, Turnbull C, Wang Z, Devoto M, Barthold JS. Subphenotype meta-analysis of testicular cancer genome-wide association study data suggests a role for RBFOX family genes in cryptorchidism susceptibility. Hum Reprod 2019; 33:967-977. [PMID: 29618007 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can subphenotype analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from subjects with testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) provide insight into cryptorchidism (undescended testis, UDT) susceptibility? SUMMARY ANSWER Suggestive intragenic GWAS signals common to UDT, TGCT case-case and TGCT case-control analyses occur in genes encoding RBFOX RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and their neurodevelopmental targets. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY UDT is a strong risk factor for TGCT, but while genetic risk factors for TGCT are well-known, genetic susceptibility to UDT is poorly understood and appears to be more complex. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We performed a secondary subphenotype analysis of existing GWAS data from the Testicular Cancer Consortium (TECAC) and compared these results with our previously published UDT GWAS data, and with data previously acquired from studies of the fetal rat gubernaculum. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Studies from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), United Kingdom (UK) and University of Pennsylvania (Penn) that enrolled white subjects were the source of the TGCT GWAS data. We completed UDT subphenotype case-case (TGCT/UDT vs TGCT/non-UDT) and case-control (TGCT/UDT vs control), collectively referred to as 'TECAC' analyses, followed by a meta-analysis comprising 129 TGCT/UDT cases, 1771 TGCT/non-UDT cases, and 3967 unaffected controls. We reanalyzed our UDT GWAS results comprising 844 cases and 2718 controls by mapping suggestive UDT and TECAC signals (defined as P < 0.001) to genes using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA®). We compared associated pathways and enriched gene categories common to all analyses after Benjamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction, and analyzed transcript levels and protein expression using qRT-PCR and rat fetal gubernaculum confocal imaging, respectively. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE We found suggestive signals within 19 genes common to all three analyses, including RBFOX1 and RBFOX3, neurodevelopmental paralogs that encode RBPs targeting (U)GCATG-containing transcripts. Ten of the 19 genes participate in neurodevelopment and/or contribute to risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Experimentally predicted RBFOX gene targets were strongly overrepresented among suggestive intragenic signals for the UDT (117 of 628 (19%), P = 3.5 × 10-24), TECAC case-case (129 of 711 (18%), P = 2.5 × 10-27) and TECAC case-control (117 of 679 (17%), P = 2 × 10-21) analyses, and a majority of the genes common to all three analyses (12 of 19 (63%), P = 3 × 10-9) are predicted RBFOX targets. Rbfox1, Rbfox2 and their encoded proteins are expressed in the rat fetal gubernaculum. Predicted RBFOX targets are also enriched among transcripts differentially regulated in the fetal gubernaculum during normal development (P = 3 × 10-31), in response to in vitro hormonal stimulation (P = 5 × 10-45) and in the cryptorchid LE/orl rat (P = 2 × 10-42). LARGE SCALE DATA GWAS data included in this study are available in the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP accession numbers phs000986.v1.p1 and phs001349.v1p1). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION These GWAS data did not reach genome-wide significance for any individual analysis. UDT appears to have a complex etiology that also includes environmental factors, and such complexity may require much larger sample sizes than are currently available. The current methodology may also introduce bias that favors false discovery of larger genes. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Common suggestive intragenic GWAS signals suggest that RBFOX paralogs and other neurodevelopmental genes are potential UDT risk candidates, and potential TGCT susceptibility modifiers. Enrichment of predicted RBFOX targets among differentially expressed transcripts in the fetal gubernaculum additionally suggests a role for this RBP family in regulation of testicular descent. As RBFOX proteins regulate alternative splicing of Calca to generate calcitonin gene-related peptide, a protein linked to development and function of the gubernaculum, additional studies that address the role of these proteins in UDT are warranted. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (R01HD060769); National Center for Research Resources (P20RR20173), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (P20GM103464), Nemours Biomedical Research, the Testicular Cancer Consortium (U01CA164947), the Intramural Research Program of the NCI, a support services contract HHSN26120130003C with IMS, Inc., the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn, National Cancer Institute (CA114478), the Institute of Cancer Research, UK and the Wellcome Trust Case-Control Consortium (WTCCC) 2. None of the authors reports a conflict of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Wang
- Nemours Biomedical Research/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Dione R Gray
- Nemours Biomedical Research/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Alan K Robbins
- Nemours Biomedical Research/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Erin L Crowgey
- Nemours Biomedical Research/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Stephen J Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Mark H Greene
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Katherine A McGlynn
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Katherine Nathanson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Clare Turnbull
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Zhaoming Wang
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Computational Biology, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Marcella Devoto
- Division of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hinkle ER, Wiedner HJ, Black AJ, Giudice J. RNA processing in skeletal muscle biology and disease. Transcription 2019; 10:1-20. [PMID: 30556762 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2018.1558677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA processing encompasses the capping, cleavage, polyadenylation and alternative splicing of pre-mRNA. Proper muscle development relies on precise RNA processing, driven by the coordination between RNA-binding proteins. Recently, skeletal muscle biology has been intensely investigated in terms of RNA processing. High throughput studies paired with deletion of RNA-binding proteins have provided a high-level understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling the regulation of RNA-processing in skeletal muscle. Furthermore, misregulation of RNA processing is implicated in muscle diseases. In this review, we comprehensively summarize recent studies in skeletal muscle that demonstrated: (i) the importance of RNA processing, (ii) the RNA-binding proteins that are involved, and (iii) diseases associated with defects in RNA processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma R Hinkle
- a Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB) , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA.,b Department of Cell Biology & Physiology , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Hannah J Wiedner
- a Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB) , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA.,b Department of Cell Biology & Physiology , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Adam J Black
- b Department of Cell Biology & Physiology , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA
| | - Jimena Giudice
- a Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology (GMB) , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA.,b Department of Cell Biology & Physiology , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA.,c McAllister Heart Institute , University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ma F, Dong Z, Berberoglu MA. Expression of RNA-binding protein Rbfox1l demarcates a restricted population of dorsal telencephalic neurons within the adult zebrafish brain. Gene Expr Patterns 2019; 31:32-41. [PMID: 30634066 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Rbfox RNA-binding proteins are expressed in the adult mammalian brain and are required for proper brain development and function. Studies in mice and humans have implicated Rbfox1/RBFOX1 in autism, neuronal excitation and epilepsy, and Rbfox2/RBFOX2 in cerebellar development. The zebrafish has emerged as a prominent model system for brain study, possessing neuroanatomical conservation with mammals and an extensive capacity for adult neurogenesis and plasticity. In this study, we characterize Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 expression in the adult zebrafish brain. While Rbfox2 is expressed broadly, Rbfox1l is expressed in restricted populations of neurons in the dorsal telencephalon and cerebellum. In the dorsal telencephalon, Rbfox1l is expressed in a specific population of neurons spanning Dm and Dc regions. In the cerebellum, Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 are expressed in the Purkinje cell layer, reminiscent of Rbfox1 and Rbfox2 expression in the mammalian cerebellum. Our findings motivate future studies of Rbfox function in the zebrafish brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengjun Ma
- Bio-Medical Center, College of Life Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- Bio-Medical Center, College of Life Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Michael A Berberoglu
- Bio-Medical Center, College of Life Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China; Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lorenzi P, Sangalli A, Fochi S, Dal Molin A, Malerba G, Zipeto D, Romanelli MG. RNA-binding proteins RBM20 and PTBP1 regulate the alternative splicing of FHOD3. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 106:74-83. [PMID: 30468920 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of alternative splicing events is an essential step required for the expression of functional cytoskeleton and sarcomere proteins in cardiomyocytes. About 3% of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy cases present mutations in the RNA binding protein RBM20, a tissue specific regulator of alternative splicing. Transcripts expressed preferentially in skeletal and cardiac muscle, including TTN, CAMK2D, LDB3, LMO7, PDLIM3, RTN4, and RYR2, are RBM20-dependent splice variants. In the present study, we investigated the RBM20 involvement in post-transcriptional regulation of splicing variants expressed by Formin homology 2 domain containing 3 (FHOD3) gene. FHOD3 is a sarcomeric protein highly expressed in the cardiac tissue and required for the assembly of the contractile apparatus. Recently, FHOD3 mutations have been found associated with heart diseases. We identified novel FHOD3 splicing variants differentially expressed in human tissues and provided evidences that FHOD3 transcripts are specific RBM20 and PTBP1 targets. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the expression of RBM20 and PTBP1 promoted the alternative shift, from inclusion to exclusion, of selected FHOD3 exons. These results indicate that RBM20 and PTBP1 play a role in the actin filament functional organization mediated by FHOD3 isoforms and suggest their possible involvement in heart diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P Lorenzi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - A Sangalli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - S Fochi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - A Dal Molin
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - G Malerba
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - D Zipeto
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| | - M G Romanelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biology and Genetics, University of Verona, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Alvelos MI, Juan-Mateu J, Colli ML, Turatsinze JV, Eizirik DL. When one becomes many-Alternative splicing in β-cell function and failure. Diabetes Obes Metab 2018; 20 Suppl 2:77-87. [PMID: 30230174 PMCID: PMC6148369 DOI: 10.1111/dom.13388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and death are determinant events in type 1 diabetes (T1D), but the molecular mechanisms behind β-cell fate remain poorly understood. Alternative splicing is a post-transcriptional mechanism by which a single gene generates different mRNA and protein isoforms, expanding the transcriptome complexity and enhancing protein diversity. Neuron-specific and certain serine/arginine-rich RNA binding proteins (RBP) are enriched in β-cells, playing crucial roles in the regulation of insulin secretion and β-cell survival. Moreover, alternative exon networks, regulated by inflammation or diabetes susceptibility genes, control key pathways and processes for the correct function and survival of β-cells. The challenge ahead of us is to understand the precise role of alternative splicing regulators and splice variants on β-cell function, dysfunction and death and develop tools to modulate it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Inês Alvelos
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research and Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808 – CP618, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonàs Juan-Mateu
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research and Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808 – CP618, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maikel Luis Colli
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research and Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808 – CP618, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Valéry Turatsinze
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research and Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808 – CP618, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Décio L. Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research and Welbio, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Route de Lennik, 808 – CP618, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Parras A, Anta H, Santos-Galindo M, Swarup V, Elorza A, Nieto-González JL, Picó S, Hernández IH, Díaz-Hernández JI, Belloc E, Rodolosse A, Parikshak NN, Peñagarikano O, Fernández-Chacón R, Irimia M, Navarro P, Geschwind DH, Méndez R, Lucas JJ. Autism-like phenotype and risk gene mRNA deadenylation by CPEB4 mis-splicing. Nature 2018; 560:441-446. [PMID: 30111840 PMCID: PMC6217926 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0423-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Common genetic contributions to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reside in risk gene variants that individually have minimal effect sizes. As environmental factors that perturb neurodevelopment also underlie idiopathic ASD, it is crucial to identify altered regulators that can orchestrate multiple ASD risk genes during neurodevelopment. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding proteins 1-4 (CPEB1-4) regulate the translation of specific mRNAs by modulating their poly(A)-tails and thereby participate in embryonic development and synaptic plasticity. Here we find that CPEB4 binds transcripts of most high-confidence ASD risk genes. The brains of individuals with idiopathic ASD show imbalances in CPEB4 transcript isoforms that result from decreased inclusion of a neuron-specific microexon. In addition, 9% of the transcriptome shows reduced poly(A)-tail length. Notably, this percentage is much higher for high-confidence ASD risk genes, correlating with reduced expression of the protein products of ASD risk genes. An equivalent imbalance in CPEB4 transcript isoforms in mice mimics the changes in mRNA polyadenylation and protein expression of ASD risk genes and induces ASD-like neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and behavioural phenotypes. Together, these data identify CPEB4 as a regulator of ASD risk genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Parras
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Héctor Anta
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Santos-Galindo
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Vivek Swarup
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ainara Elorza
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José L Nieto-González
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Seville, Spain
| | - Sara Picó
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ivó H Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología (Unidad Docente Fisiología Animal), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan I Díaz-Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eulàlia Belloc
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Annie Rodolosse
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neelroop N Parikshak
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Fernández-Chacón
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla and Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Seville, Spain
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pilar Navarro
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raúl Méndez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José J Lucas
- Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa' (CBMSO) CSIC/UAM, Madrid, Spain.
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Sellier C, Cerro-Herreros E, Blatter M, Freyermuth F, Gaucherot A, Ruffenach F, Sarkar P, Puymirat J, Udd B, Day JW, Meola G, Bassez G, Fujimura H, Takahashi MP, Schoser B, Furling D, Artero R, Allain FHT, Llamusi B, Charlet-Berguerand N. rbFOX1/MBNL1 competition for CCUG RNA repeats binding contributes to myotonic dystrophy type 1/type 2 differences. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2009. [PMID: 29789616 PMCID: PMC5964235 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04370-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 and type 2 (DM1, DM2) are caused by expansions of CTG and CCTG repeats, respectively. RNAs containing expanded CUG or CCUG repeats interfere with the metabolism of other RNAs through titration of the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) RNA binding proteins. DM2 follows a more favorable clinical course than DM1, suggesting that specific modifiers may modulate DM severity. Here, we report that the rbFOX1 RNA binding protein binds to expanded CCUG RNA repeats, but not to expanded CUG RNA repeats. Interestingly, rbFOX1 competes with MBNL1 for binding to CCUG expanded repeats and overexpression of rbFOX1 partly releases MBNL1 from sequestration within CCUG RNA foci in DM2 muscle cells. Furthermore, expression of rbFOX1 corrects alternative splicing alterations and rescues muscle atrophy, climbing and flying defects caused by expression of expanded CCUG repeats in a Drosophila model of DM2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Sellier
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Estefanía Cerro-Herreros
- Translational Genomics Group, Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- INCLIVA Health Research Institute, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Markus Blatter
- Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fernande Freyermuth
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Angeline Gaucherot
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Frank Ruffenach
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Partha Sarkar
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Jack Puymirat
- Human Genetics Research Unit, Laval University, CHUQ, Ste-Foy, Quebec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Bjarne Udd
- Neuromuscular Research Center, Tampere University Hospital, 33521, Tampere, Finland
- Department of Medical Genetics, Folkhälsan Institute of Genetics, Helsinki University, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Neurology, Vasa Central Hospital, 65130, Vaasa, Finland
| | - John W Day
- Department of Neurology, Stanford University, San Francisco, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Giovanni Meola
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20097, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097, Milan, Italy
| | - Guillaume Bassez
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Center of Research in Myology, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Harutoshi Fujimura
- Department of Neurology, Toneyama National Hospital, Toyonaka, 560-0045, Japan
| | - Masanori P Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Benedikt Schoser
- Friedrich-Baur-Institute, Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Association Institut de Myologie, Center of Research in Myology, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Ruben Artero
- Translational Genomics Group, Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain
- INCLIVA Health Research Institute, 46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Frédéric H T Allain
- Institute for Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beatriz Llamusi
- Translational Genomics Group, Interdisciplinary Research Structure for Biotechnology and Biomedicine BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
- INCLIVA Health Research Institute, 46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Nicolas Charlet-Berguerand
- IGBMC, INSERM U964, CNRS UMR7104, University of Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France.
- UMR7104, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 67404, Illkirch, France.
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U964, 67404, Illkirch, France.
- Université de Strasbourg, 67404, Illkirch, France.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Abstract
Motivation Advancements in sequencing technologies have highlighted the role of alternative splicing (AS) in increasing transcriptome complexity. This role of AS, combined with the relation of aberrant splicing to malignant states, motivated two streams of research, experimental and computational. The first involves a myriad of techniques such as RNA-Seq and CLIP-Seq to identify splicing regulators and their putative targets. The second involves probabilistic models, also known as splicing codes, which infer regulatory mechanisms and predict splicing outcome directly from genomic sequence. To date, these models have utilized only expression data. In this work, we address two related challenges: Can we improve on previous models for AS outcome prediction and can we integrate additional sources of data to improve predictions for AS regulatory factors. Results We perform a detailed comparison of two previous modeling approaches, Bayesian and Deep Neural networks, dissecting the confounding effects of datasets and target functions. We then develop a new target function for AS prediction in exon skipping events and show it significantly improves model accuracy. Next, we develop a modeling framework that leverages transfer learning to incorporate CLIP-Seq, knockdown and over expression experiments, which are inherently noisy and suffer from missing values. Using several datasets involving key splice factors in mouse brain, muscle and heart we demonstrate both the prediction improvements and biological insights offered by our new models. Overall, the framework we propose offers a scalable integrative solution to improve splicing code modeling as vast amounts of relevant genomic data become available. Availability and implementation Code and data available at: majiq.biociphers.org/jha_et_al_2017/ Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anupama Jha
- Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew R Gazzara
- Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yoseph Barash
- Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Thomas JD, Oliveira R, Sznajder ŁJ, Swanson MS. Myotonic Dystrophy and Developmental Regulation of RNA Processing. Compr Physiol 2018; 8:509-553. [PMID: 29687899 PMCID: PMC11323716 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c170002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a multisystemic disorder caused by microsatellite expansion mutations in two unrelated genes leading to similar, yet distinct, diseases. DM disease presentation is highly variable and distinguished by differences in age-of-onset and symptom severity. In the most severe form, DM presents with congenital onset and profound developmental defects. At the molecular level, DM pathogenesis is characterized by a toxic RNA gain-of-function mechanism that involves the transcription of noncoding microsatellite expansions. These mutant RNAs disrupt key cellular pathways, including RNA processing, localization, and translation. In DM, these toxic RNA effects are predominantly mediated through the modulation of the muscleblind-like and CUGBP and ETR-3-like factor families of RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Dysfunction of these RBPs results in widespread RNA processing defects culminating in the expression of developmentally inappropriate protein isoforms in adult tissues. The tissue that is the focus of this review, skeletal muscle, is particularly sensitive to mutant RNA-responsive perturbations, as patients display a variety of developmental, structural, and functional defects in muscle. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of DM1 and DM2 clinical presentation and pathology as well as the underlying cellular and molecular defects associated with DM disease onset and progression. Additionally, fundamental aspects of skeletal muscle development altered in DM are highlighted together with ongoing and potential therapeutic avenues to treat this muscular dystrophy. © 2018 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:509-553, 2018.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D. Thomas
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ruan Oliveira
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Łukasz J. Sznajder
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Maurice S. Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Nakka K, Ghigna C, Gabellini D, Dilworth FJ. Diversification of the muscle proteome through alternative splicing. Skelet Muscle 2018; 8:8. [PMID: 29510724 PMCID: PMC5840707 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-018-0152-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Skeletal muscles express a highly specialized proteome that allows the metabolism of energy sources to mediate myofiber contraction. This muscle-specific proteome is partially derived through the muscle-specific transcription of a subset of genes. Surprisingly, RNA sequencing technologies have also revealed a significant role for muscle-specific alternative splicing in generating protein isoforms that give specialized function to the muscle proteome. Main body In this review, we discuss the current knowledge with respect to the mechanisms that allow pre-mRNA transcripts to undergo muscle-specific alternative splicing while identifying some of the key trans-acting splicing factors essential to the process. The importance of specific splicing events to specialized muscle function is presented along with examples in which dysregulated splicing contributes to myopathies. Though there is now an appreciation that alternative splicing is a major contributor to proteome diversification, the emergence of improved “targeted” proteomic methodologies for detection of specific protein isoforms will soon allow us to better appreciate the extent to which alternative splicing modifies the activity of proteins (and their ability to interact with other proteins) in the skeletal muscle. In addition, we highlight a continued need to better explore the signaling pathways that contribute to the temporal control of trans-acting splicing factor activity to ensure specific protein isoforms are expressed in the proper cellular context. Conclusions An understanding of the signal-dependent and signal-independent events driving muscle-specific alternative splicing has the potential to provide us with novel therapeutic strategies to treat different myopathies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13395-018-0152-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Nakka
- Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Claudia Ghigna
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Pavia, Italy
| | - Davide Gabellini
- Unit of Gene Expression and Muscular Dystrophy, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT2, 5A3-44, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy.
| | - F Jeffrey Dilworth
- Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada. .,Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Mailbox 511, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Nutter CA, Kuyumcu-Martinez MN. Emerging roles of RNA-binding proteins in diabetes and their therapeutic potential in diabetic complications. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2017; 9. [PMID: 29280295 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diabetes is a debilitating health care problem affecting 422 million people around the world. Diabetic patients suffer from multisystemic complications that can cause mortality and morbidity. Recent advancements in high-throughput next-generation RNA-sequencing and computational algorithms led to the discovery of aberrant posttranscriptional gene regulatory programs in diabetes. However, very little is known about how these regulatory programs are mis-regulated in diabetes. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important regulators of posttranscriptional RNA networks, which are also dysregulated in diabetes. Human genetic studies provide new evidence that polymorphisms and mutations in RBPs are linked to diabetes. Therefore, we will discuss the emerging roles of RBPs in abnormal posttranscriptional gene expression in diabetes. Questions that will be addressed are: Which posttranscriptional mechanisms are disrupted in diabetes? Which RBPs are responsible for such changes under diabetic conditions? How are RBPs altered in diabetes? How does dysregulation of RBPs contribute to diabetes? Can we target RBPs using RNA-based methods to restore gene expression profiles in diabetic patients? Studying the evolving roles of RBPs in diabetes is critical not only for a comprehensive understanding of diabetes pathogenesis but also to design RNA-based therapeutic approaches for diabetic complications. WIREs RNA 2018, 9:e1459. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1459 This article is categorized under: RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing Translation > Translation Regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Curtis A Nutter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Muge N Kuyumcu-Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.,Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.,Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Giudice J, Loehr JA, Rodney GG, Cooper TA. Alternative Splicing of Four Trafficking Genes Regulates Myofiber Structure and Skeletal Muscle Physiology. Cell Rep 2017; 17:1923-1933. [PMID: 27851958 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, transcriptional and post-transcriptional networks are coordinately regulated to drive organ maturation. Alternative splicing contributes by producing temporal-specific protein isoforms. We previously found that genes undergoing splicing transitions during mouse postnatal heart development are enriched for vesicular trafficking and membrane dynamics functions. Here, we show that adult trafficking isoforms are also expressed in adult skeletal muscle and hypothesize that striated muscle utilizes alternative splicing to generate specific isoforms required for function of adult tissue. We deliver morpholinos into flexor digitorum brevis muscles in adult mice to redirect splicing of four trafficking genes to the fetal isoforms. The splicing switch results in multiple structural and functional defects, including transverse tubule (T-tubule) disruption and dihydropyridine receptor alpha (DHPR) and Ryr1 mislocalization, impairing excitation-contraction coupling, calcium handling, and force generation. The results demonstrate a previously unrecognized role for trafficking functions in adult muscle tissue homeostasis and a specific requirement for the adult splice variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Giudice
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; McAllister Heart Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
| | - James A Loehr
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - George G Rodney
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas A Cooper
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Stress Granules Contain Rbfox2 with Cell Cycle-related mRNAs. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11211. [PMID: 28894257 PMCID: PMC5593835 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11651-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rbfox RNA-binding proteins play important roles in the regulation of alternative pre-mRNA splicing, but their role in other gene regulatory mechanisms is not well understood. Here, we show that Rbfox2 is a novel constituent of cytoplasmic stress granules, the translational silencing machinery assembled in response to cellular stress. We also show that the RNA binding activity of the Rbfox family protein is crucial for its localization into stress granules. To investigate the role of Rbfox2 in stress granules we used RNA-immunoprecipitation sequencing to identify cytoplasmic transcriptome-wide targets of Rbfox2. We report that a subset of cell cycle-related genes including retinoblastoma 1 is the target of Rbfox2 in cytoplasmic stress granules, and Rbfox2 regulates the retinoblastoma 1 mRNA and protein expression levels during and following stress exposure. Our study proposes a novel function for Rbfox2 in cytoplasmic stress granules.
Collapse
|
38
|
Black AJ, Ravi S, Jefferson LS, Kimball SR, Schilder RJ. Dietary Fat Quantity and Type Induce Transcriptome-Wide Effects on Alternative Splicing of Pre-mRNA in Rat Skeletal Muscle. J Nutr 2017; 147:1648-1657. [PMID: 28768832 PMCID: PMC5572497 DOI: 10.3945/jn.117.254482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Fat-enriched diets produce metabolic changes in skeletal muscle, which in turn can mediate changes in gene regulation.Objective: We examined the high-fat-diet-induced changes in skeletal muscle gene expression by characterizing variations in pre-mRNA alternative splicing.Methods: Affymetrix Exon Array analysis was performed on the transcriptome of the gastrocnemius/plantaris complex of male obesity-prone Sprague-Dawley rats fed a 10% or 60% fat (lard) diet for 2 or 8 wk. The validation of exon array results was focused on troponin T (Tnnt3). Tnnt3 splice form analyses were extended in studies of rats fed 10% or 30% fat diets across 1- to 8-wk treatment periods and rats fed 10% or 45% fat diets with fat sources from lard or mono- or polyunsaturated fats for 2 wk. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to measure body composition.Results: Consumption of a 60% fat diet for 2 or 8 wk resulted in alternative splicing of 668 and 726 pre-mRNAs, respectively, compared with rats fed a 10% fat diet. Tnnt3 transcripts were alternatively spliced in rats fed a 60% fat diet for either 2 or 8 wk. The high-fat-diet-induced changes in Tnnt3 alternative splicing were observed in rats fed a 30% fat diet across 1- to 8-wk treatment periods. Moreover, this effect depended on fat type, because Tnnt3 alternative splicing occurred in response to 45% fat diets enriched with lard but not in response to diets enriched with mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fat mass (a proxy for obesity as measured by NMR) did not differ between groups in any study.Conclusions: Rat skeletal muscle responds to overconsumption of dietary fat by modifying gene expression through pre-mRNA alternative splicing. Variations in Tnnt3 alternative splicing occur independently of obesity and are dependent on dietary fat quantity and suggest a role for saturated fatty acids in the high-fat-diet-induced modifications in Tnnt3 alternative splicing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Black
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Physiology and,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; and
| | - Suhana Ravi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; and
| | - Leonard S Jefferson
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Physiology and,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; and
| | - Scot R Kimball
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Physiology and,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA; and
| | - Rudolf J Schilder
- Departments of Entomology and Biology, Penn State University, University Park, State College, PA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Thomas JD, Sznajder ŁJ, Bardhi O, Aslam FN, Anastasiadis ZP, Scotti MM, Nishino I, Nakamori M, Wang ET, Swanson MS. Disrupted prenatal RNA processing and myogenesis in congenital myotonic dystrophy. Genes Dev 2017; 31:1122-1133. [PMID: 28698297 PMCID: PMC5538435 DOI: 10.1101/gad.300590.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Thomas et al. demonstrate that RNA misprocessing is a major pathogenic factor in congenital myotonic dystrophy and provide novel mouse models to further examine roles for cotranscriptional/post-transcriptional gene regulation during tissue development. Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a CTG microsatellite expansion (CTGexp) disorder caused by expression of CUGexp RNAs. These mutant RNAs alter the activities of RNA processing factors, including MBNL proteins, leading to re-expression of fetal isoforms in adult tissues and DM1 pathology. While this pathogenesis model accounts for adult-onset disease, the molecular basis of congenital DM (CDM) is unknown. Here, we test the hypothesis that disruption of developmentally regulated RNA alternative processing pathways contributes to CDM disease. We identify prominent alternative splicing and polyadenylation abnormalities in infant CDM muscle, and, although most are also misregulated in adult-onset DM1, dysregulation is significantly more severe in CDM. Furthermore, analysis of alternative splicing during human myogenesis reveals that CDM-relevant exons undergo prenatal RNA isoform transitions and are predicted to be disrupted by CUGexp-associated mechanisms in utero. To test this possibility and the contribution of MBNLs to CDM pathogenesis, we generated mouse Mbnl double (Mbnl1; Mbnl2) and triple (Mbnl1; Mbnl2; Mbnl3) muscle-specific knockout models that recapitulate the congenital myopathy, gene expression, and spliceopathy defects characteristic of CDM. This study demonstrates that RNA misprocessing is a major pathogenic factor in CDM and provides novel mouse models to further examine roles for cotranscriptional/post-transcriptional gene regulation during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D Thomas
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Łukasz J Sznajder
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Olgert Bardhi
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Faaiq N Aslam
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Zacharias P Anastasiadis
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Marina M Scotti
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Ichizo Nishino
- Department of Neuromuscular Research, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masayuki Nakamori
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| | - Maurice S Swanson
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics and the Genetics Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Bates DO, Morris JC, Oltean S, Donaldson LF. Pharmacology of Modulators of Alternative Splicing. Pharmacol Rev 2017; 69:63-79. [PMID: 28034912 PMCID: PMC5226212 DOI: 10.1124/pr.115.011239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 95% of genes in the human genome are alternatively spliced to form multiple transcripts, often encoding proteins with differing or opposing function. The control of alternative splicing is now being elucidated, and with this comes the opportunity to develop modulators of alternative splicing that can control cellular function. A number of approaches have been taken to develop compounds that can experimentally, and sometimes clinically, affect splicing control, resulting in potential novel therapeutics. Here we develop the concepts that targeting alternative splicing can result in relatively specific pathway inhibitors/activators that result in dampening down of physiologic or pathologic processes, from changes in muscle physiology to altering angiogenesis or pain. The targets and pharmacology of some of the current inhibitors/activators of alternative splicing are demonstrated and future directions discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David O Bates
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (D.O.B.); School of Chemistry, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia (J.C.M.); School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences/Bristol Renal, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (S.O.); and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (L.F.D.)
| | - Jonathan C Morris
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (D.O.B.); School of Chemistry, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia (J.C.M.); School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences/Bristol Renal, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (S.O.); and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (L.F.D.)
| | - Sebastian Oltean
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (D.O.B.); School of Chemistry, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia (J.C.M.); School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences/Bristol Renal, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (S.O.); and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (L.F.D.)
| | - Lucy F Donaldson
- Cancer Biology, Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (D.O.B.); School of Chemistry, UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia (J.C.M.); School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neurosciences, School of Clinical Sciences/Bristol Renal, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom (S.O.); and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (L.F.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Gazzara MR, Mallory MJ, Roytenberg R, Lindberg JP, Jha A, Lynch KW, Barash Y. Ancient antagonism between CELF and RBFOX families tunes mRNA splicing outcomes. Genome Res 2017; 27:1360-1370. [PMID: 28512194 PMCID: PMC5538552 DOI: 10.1101/gr.220517.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over 95% of human multi-exon genes undergo alternative splicing, a process important in normal development and often dysregulated in disease. We sought to analyze the global splicing regulatory network of CELF2 in human T cells, a well-studied splicing regulator critical to T cell development and function. By integrating high-throughput sequencing data for binding and splicing quantification with sequence features and probabilistic splicing code models, we find evidence of splicing antagonism between CELF2 and the RBFOX family of splicing factors. We validate this functional antagonism through knockdown and overexpression experiments in human cells and find CELF2 represses RBFOX2 mRNA and protein levels. Because both families of proteins have been implicated in the development and maintenance of neuronal, muscle, and heart tissues, we analyzed publicly available data in these systems. Our analysis suggests global, antagonistic coregulation of splicing by the CELF and RBFOX proteins in mouse muscle and heart in several physiologically relevant targets, including proteins involved in calcium signaling and members of the MEF2 family of transcription factors. Importantly, a number of these coregulated events are aberrantly spliced in mouse models and human patients with diseases that affect these tissues, including heart failure, diabetes, or myotonic dystrophy. Finally, analysis of exons regulated by ancient CELF family homologs in chicken, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans suggests this antagonism is conserved throughout evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Gazzara
- Department of Genetics.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Michael J Mallory
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Renat Roytenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - John P Lindberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Anupama Jha
- Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Kristen W Lynch
- Department of Genetics.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Yoseph Barash
- Department of Genetics.,Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Berberoglu MA, Gallagher TL, Morrow ZT, Talbot JC, Hromowyk KJ, Tenente IM, Langenau DM, Amacher SL. Satellite-like cells contribute to pax7-dependent skeletal muscle repair in adult zebrafish. Dev Biol 2017; 424:162-180. [PMID: 28279710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Satellite cells, also known as muscle stem cells, are responsible for skeletal muscle growth and repair in mammals. Pax7 and Pax3 transcription factors are established satellite cell markers required for muscle development and regeneration, and there is great interest in identifying additional factors that regulate satellite cell proliferation, differentiation, and/or skeletal muscle regeneration. Due to the powerful regenerative capacity of many zebrafish tissues, even in adults, we are exploring the regenerative potential of adult zebrafish skeletal muscle. Here, we show that adult zebrafish skeletal muscle contains cells similar to mammalian satellite cells. Adult zebrafish satellite-like cells have dense heterochromatin, express Pax7 and Pax3, proliferate in response to injury, and show peak myogenic responses 4-5 days post-injury (dpi). Furthermore, using a pax7a-driven GFP reporter, we present evidence implicating satellite-like cells as a possible source of new muscle. In lieu of central nucleation, which distinguishes regenerating myofibers in mammals, we describe several characteristics that robustly identify newly-forming myofibers from surrounding fibers in injured adult zebrafish muscle. These characteristics include partially overlapping expression in satellite-like cells and regenerating myofibers of two RNA-binding proteins Rbfox2 and Rbfoxl1, known to regulate embryonic muscle development and function. Finally, by analyzing pax7a; pax7b double mutant zebrafish, we show that Pax7 is required for adult skeletal muscle repair, as it is in the mouse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Berberoglu
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Thomas L Gallagher
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Zachary T Morrow
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jared C Talbot
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Kimberly J Hromowyk
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Inês M Tenente
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Molecular Pathology and Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - David M Langenau
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Molecular Pathology and Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sharon L Amacher
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for Muscle Health and Neuromuscular Disorders, The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
He KY, Wang H, Cade BE, Nandakumar P, Giri A, Ware EB, Haessler J, Liang J, Smith JA, Franceschini N, Le TH, Kooperberg C, Edwards TL, Kardia SLR, Lin X, Chakravarti A, Redline S, Zhu X. Rare variants in fox-1 homolog A (RBFOX1) are associated with lower blood pressure. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006678. [PMID: 28346479 PMCID: PMC5386302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified common blood pressure (BP) variants. However, most of the identified BP variants do not overlap with the linkage evidence observed from family studies. We thus hypothesize that multiple rare variants contribute to the observed linkage evidence. We performed linkage analysis using 517 individuals in 130 European families from the Cleveland Family Study (CFS) who have been genotyped on the Illumina OmniExpress Exome array. The largest linkage peak was observed on chromosome 16p13 (MLOD = 2.81) for systolic blood pressure (SBP). Follow-up conditional linkage and association analyses in the linkage region identified multiple rare, coding variants in RBFOX1 associated with reduced SBP. In a 17-member CFS family, carriers of the missense variant rs149974858 are normotensive despite being obese (average BMI = 60 kg/m2). Gene-based association test of rare variants using SKAT-O showed significant association with SBP (p-value = 0.00403) and DBP (p-value = 0.0258) in the CFS participants and the association was replicated in large independent replication studies (N = 57,234, p-value = 0.013 for SBP, 0.0023 for PP). RBFOX1 is expressed in brain tissues, the atrial appendage and left ventricle in the heart, and in skeletal muscle tissues, organs/tissues which are potentially related to blood pressure. Our study showed that associations of rare variants could be efficiently detected using family information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Y. He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Heming Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Brian E. Cade
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Priyanka Nandakumar
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ayush Giri
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Erin B. Ware
- Biosocial Methods Collaborative, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Haessler
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jingjing Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jennifer A. Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Nora Franceschini
- Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Thu H. Le
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Charles Kooperberg
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Todd L. Edwards
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Sharon L. R. Kardia
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Xihong Lin
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Aravinda Chakravarti
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Susan Redline
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Juan-Mateu J, Rech TH, Villate O, Lizarraga-Mollinedo E, Wendt A, Turatsinze JV, Brondani LA, Nardelli TR, Nogueira TC, Esguerra JLS, Alvelos MI, Marchetti P, Eliasson L, Eizirik DL. Neuron-enriched RNA-binding Proteins Regulate Pancreatic Beta Cell Function and Survival. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:3466-3480. [PMID: 28077579 PMCID: PMC5336178 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.748335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic beta cell failure is the central event leading to diabetes. Beta cells share many phenotypic traits with neurons, and proper beta cell function relies on the activation of several neuron-like transcription programs. Regulation of gene expression by alternative splicing plays a pivotal role in brain, where it affects neuronal development, function, and disease. The role of alternative splicing in beta cells remains unclear, but recent data indicate that splicing alterations modulated by both inflammation and susceptibility genes for diabetes contribute to beta cell dysfunction and death. Here we used RNA sequencing to compare the expression of splicing-regulatory RNA-binding proteins in human islets, brain, and other human tissues, and we identified a cluster of splicing regulators that are expressed in both beta cells and brain. Four of them, namely Elavl4, Nova2, Rbox1, and Rbfox2, were selected for subsequent functional studies in insulin-producing rat INS-1E, human EndoC-βH1 cells, and in primary rat beta cells. Silencing of Elavl4 and Nova2 increased beta cell apoptosis, whereas silencing of Rbfox1 and Rbfox2 increased insulin content and secretion. Interestingly, Rbfox1 silencing modulates the splicing of the actin-remodeling protein gelsolin, increasing gelsolin expression and leading to faster glucose-induced actin depolymerization and increased insulin release. Taken together, these findings indicate that beta cells share common splicing regulators and programs with neurons. These splicing regulators play key roles in insulin release and beta cell survival, and their dysfunction may contribute to the loss of functional beta cell mass in diabetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonàs Juan-Mateu
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Tatiana H Rech
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olatz Villate
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Anna Wendt
- Lund University Diabetes Center, Unit of Islets Cell Exocytosis, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
| | | | - Letícia A Brondani
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tarlliza R Nardelli
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Tatiane C Nogueira
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonathan L S Esguerra
- Lund University Diabetes Center, Unit of Islets Cell Exocytosis, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Maria Inês Alvelos
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Piero Marchetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Islet Cell Laboratory, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Lena Eliasson
- Lund University Diabetes Center, Unit of Islets Cell Exocytosis, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, SE 205 02 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Décio L Eizirik
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium; Welbio, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, CP618, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhu C, Chen Z, Guo W. Pre-mRNA mis-splicing of sarcomeric genes in heart failure. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2016; 1863:2056-2063. [PMID: 27825848 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Pre-mRNA splicing is an important biological process that allows production of multiple proteins from a single gene in the genome, and mainly contributes to protein diversity in eukaryotic organisms. Alternative splicing is commonly governed by RNA binding proteins to meet the ever-changing demands of the cell. However, the mis-splicing may lead to human diseases. In the heart of human, mis-regulation of alternative splicing has been associated with heart failure. In this short review, we focus on alternative splicing of sarcomeric genes and review mis-splicing related heart failure with relatively well studied Sarcomeric genes and splicing mechanisms with identified regulatory factors. The perspective of alternative splicing based therapeutic strategies in heart failure has also been discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Zhu
- Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Zhilong Chen
- Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Conboy JG. Developmental regulation of RNA processing by Rbfox proteins. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2016; 8. [PMID: 27748060 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The Rbfox genes encode an ancient family of sequence-specific RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that are critical developmental regulators in multiple tissues including skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and brain. The hallmark of Rbfox proteins is a single high-affinity RRM domain, highly conserved from insects to humans, that binds preferentially to UGCAUG motifs at diverse regulatory sites in pre-mRNA introns, mRNA 3'UTRs, and pre-miRNAs hairpin structures. Versatile regulatory circuits operate on Rbfox pre-mRNA and mRNA to ensure proper expression of Rbfox1 protein isoforms, which then act on the broader transcriptome to regulate alternative splicing networks, mRNA stability and translation, and microRNA processing. Complex Rbfox expression is encoded in large genes encompassing multiple promoters and alternative splicing options that govern spatiotemporal expression of structurally distinct and tissue-specific protein isoforms with different classes of RNA targets. Nuclear Rbfox1 is a candidate master regulator that binds intronic UGCAUG elements to impact splicing efficiency of target alternative exons, many in transcripts for other splicing regulators. Tissue-specificity of Rbfox-mediated alternative splicing is executed by combinatorial regulation through the integrated activity of Rbfox proteins and synergistic or antagonistic splicing factors. Studies in animal models show that Rbfox1-related genes are critical for diverse developmental processes including germ cell differentiation and memory in Drosophila, neuronal migration and function in mouse brain, myoblast fusion and skeletal muscle function, and normal heart function. Finally, genetic and biochemical evidence suggest that aberrations in Rbfox-regulated circuitry are risk factors for multiple human disorders, especially neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy and autism, and cardiac hypertrophy. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1398. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1398 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John G Conboy
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
|
48
|
Gao C, Ren S, Lee JH, Qiu J, Chapski DJ, Rau CD, Zhou Y, Abdellatif M, Nakano A, Vondriska TM, Xiao X, Fu XD, Chen JN, Wang Y. RBFox1-mediated RNA splicing regulates cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. J Clin Invest 2015; 126:195-206. [PMID: 26619120 DOI: 10.1172/jci84015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA splicing is a major contributor to total transcriptome complexity; however, the functional role and regulation of splicing in heart failure remain poorly understood. Here, we used a total transcriptome profiling and bioinformatic analysis approach and identified a muscle-specific isoform of an RNA splicing regulator, RBFox1 (also known as A2BP1), as a prominent regulator of alternative RNA splicing during heart failure. Evaluation of developing murine and zebrafish hearts revealed that RBFox1 is induced during postnatal cardiac maturation. However, we found that RBFox1 is markedly diminished in failing human and mouse hearts. In a mouse model, RBFox1 deficiency in the heart promoted pressure overload-induced heart failure. We determined that RBFox1 is a potent regulator of RNA splicing and is required for a conserved splicing process of transcription factor MEF2 family members that yields different MEF2 isoforms with differential effects on cardiac hypertrophic gene expression. Finally, induction of RBFox1 expression in murine pressure overload models substantially attenuated cardiac hypertrophy and pathological manifestations. Together, this study identifies regulation of RNA splicing by RBFox1 as an important player in transcriptome reprogramming during heart failure that influence pathogenesis of the disease.
Collapse
|
49
|
Martin BL, Gallagher TL, Rastogi N, Davis JP, Beattie CE, Amacher SL, Janssen PML. In vivo assessment of contractile strength distinguishes differential gene function in skeletal muscle of zebrafish larvae. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2015; 119:799-806. [PMID: 26251513 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00447.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The accessible genetics and extensive skeletal musculature of the zebrafish make it a versatile and increasingly used model for studying muscle contraction. We here describe the development of an in vivo assay for measuring the contractile force of intact zebrafish at the larval stage. In addition, as proof of applicability, we have used this assay to quantify contractile strength of zebrafish larvae in a morphant model of deranged rbfox function. Average maximum tetanic (180 Hz) whole body forces produced by wild-type larvae at 2, 3, 4, and 5 days postfertilization amounted to 3.0, 7.2, 9.1, and 10.8 mN, respectively. To compare at potentially different stages of muscle development, we developed an immunohistological assay for empirically determining the cross-sectional area of larval trunk skeletal muscle to quantify muscle-specific force per cross-sectional area. At 4-5 days postfertilization, specific force amounts to ∼ 300 mN/mm(2), which is similar to fully developed adult mammalian skeletal muscle. We used these assays to measure contractile strength in zebrafish singly or doubly deficient for two rbfox paralogs, rbfox1l and rbfox2, which encode RNA-binding factors shown previously to modulate muscle function and muscle-specific splicing. We found rbfox2 morphants produce maximal tetanic forces similar to wild-type larvae, whereas rbfox1l morphants demonstrate significantly impaired function. rbfox1l/rbfox2 morphants are paralyzed, and their lack of contractile force production in our assay suggests that paralysis is a muscle-autonomous defect. These quantitative functional results allow measurement of muscle-specific phenotypes independent of neural input.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brit L Martin
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Thomas L Gallagher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Neha Rastogi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Jonathan P Davis
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | | | - Sharon L Amacher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Paul M L Janssen
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio;
| |
Collapse
|