1
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Zhang YE, Stuelten CH. Alternative splicing in EMT and TGF-β signaling during cancer progression. Semin Cancer Biol 2024; 101:1-11. [PMID: 38614376 PMCID: PMC11180579 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2024.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological process during development where epithelial cells transform to acquire mesenchymal characteristics, which allows them to migrate and colonize secondary tissues. Many cellular signaling pathways and master transcriptional factors exert a myriad of controls to fine tune this vital process to meet various developmental and physiological needs. Adding to the complexity of this network are post-transcriptional and post-translational regulations. Among them, alternative splicing has been shown to play important roles to drive EMT-associated phenotypic changes, including actin cytoskeleton remodeling, cell-cell junction changes, cell motility and invasiveness. In advanced cancers, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a major inducer of EMT and is associated with tumor cell metastasis, cancer stem cell self-renewal, and drug resistance. This review aims to provide an overview of recent discoveries regarding alternative splicing events and the involvement of splicing factors in the EMT and TGF-β signaling. It will emphasize the importance of various splicing factors involved in EMT and explore their regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying E Zhang
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Christina H Stuelten
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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2
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Huang K, Li Z, Zhong D, Yang Y, Yan X, Feng T, Wang X, Zhang L, Shen X, Chen M, Luo X, Cui K, Huang J, Rehman SU, Jiang Y, Shi D, Pauciullo A, Tang X, Liu Q, Li H. A Circular RNA Generated from Nebulin (NEB) Gene Splicing Promotes Skeletal Muscle Myogenesis in Cattle as Detected by a Multi-Omics Approach. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2300702. [PMID: 38036415 PMCID: PMC10797441 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300702] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Cattle and the draught force provided by its skeletal muscle have been integral to agro-ecosystems of agricultural civilization for millennia. However, relatively little is known about the cattle muscle functional genomics (including protein coding genes, non-coding RNA, etc.). Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as a new class of non-coding RNAs, can be effectively translated into detectable peptides, which enlightened us on the importance of circRNAs in cattle muscle physiology function. Here, RNA-seq, Ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq), and peptidome data are integrated from cattle skeletal muscle, and detected five encoded peptides from circRNAs. It is further identified and functionally characterize a 907-amino acids muscle-specific peptide that is named circNEB-peptide because derived by the splicing of Nebulin (NEB) gene. This peptide localizes to the nucleus and cytoplasm and directly interacts with SKP1 and TPM1, key factors regulating physiological activities of myoblasts, via ubiquitination and myoblast fusion, respectively. The circNEB-peptide is found to promote myoblasts proliferation and differentiation in vitro, and induce muscle regeneration in vivo. These findings suggest circNEB-peptide is an important regulator of skeletal muscle regeneration and underscore the possibility that more encoding polypeptides derived by RNAs currently annotated as non-coding exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kongwei Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and EngineeringFoshan UniversityFoshan528225China
- School of Biology and Biological EngineeringSouth China University of TechnologyGuangzhou510641China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Dandan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Yufeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Xiuying Yan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Tong Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Xiaobo Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Liyin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Xinyue Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Mengjie Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Xier Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and EngineeringFoshan UniversityFoshan528225China
| | - Kuiqing Cui
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and EngineeringFoshan UniversityFoshan528225China
| | - Jieping Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Saif Ur Rehman
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and TechnologyNorthwest A&F UniversityYangling712100China
| | - Deshun Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
| | - Alfredo Pauciullo
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food SciencesUniversity of TorinoGrugliasco (TO)10095Italy
| | - Xiangfang Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding,Institute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing100193China
| | - Qingyou Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, School of Life Science and EngineeringFoshan UniversityFoshan528225China
| | - Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and TechnologyGuangxi UniversityNanning530005China
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3
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Yang Y, Lee GC, Nakagaki-Silva E, Huang Y, Peacey M, Partridge R, Gooding C, Smith CJ. Cell-type specific regulator RBPMS switches alternative splicing via higher-order oligomerization and heterotypic interactions with other splicing regulators. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:9961-9982. [PMID: 37548402 PMCID: PMC10570038 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing decisions are regulated by RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that can activate or repress regulated splice sites. Repressive RBPs typically harness multivalent interactions to bind stably to target RNAs. Multivalency can be achieved by homomeric oligomerization and heteromeric interactions with other RBPs, often mediated by intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), and by possessing multiple RNA binding domains. Cell-specific splicing decisions often involve the action of widely expressed RBPs, which are able to bind multivalently around target exons, but without effect in the absence of a cell-specific regulator. To address how cell-specific regulators can collaborate with constitutive RBPs in alternative splicing regulation, we used the smooth-muscle specific regulator RBPMS. Recombinant RBPMS is sufficient to confer smooth muscle cell specific alternative splicing of Tpm1 exon 3 in cell-free assays by preventing assembly of ATP-dependent splicing complexes. This activity depends upon a C-terminal IDR that facilitates dynamic higher-order self-assembly, cooperative binding to multivalent RNA and interactions with widely expressed splicing co-regulators, including MBNL1 and RBFOX2, allowing cooperative assembly of stable cell-specific regulatory complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Giselle C Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | | | - Yuling Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Matthew Peacey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Ruth Partridge
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Clare Gooding
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
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4
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Ye R, Hu N, Cao C, Su R, Xu S, Yang C, Zhou X, Xue Y. Capture RIC-seq reveals positional rules of PTBP1-associated RNA loops in splicing regulation. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1311-1327.e7. [PMID: 36958328 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) bind at different positions of the pre-mRNA molecules to promote or reduce the usage of a particular exon. Seeking to understand the working principle of these positional effects, we develop a capture RIC-seq (CRIC-seq) method to enrich specific RBP-associated in situ proximal RNA-RNA fragments for deep sequencing. We determine hnRNPA1-, SRSF1-, and PTBP1-associated proximal RNA-RNA contacts and regulatory mechanisms in HeLa cells. Unexpectedly, the 3D RNA map analysis shows that PTBP1-associated loops in individual introns preferentially promote cassette exon splicing by accelerating asymmetric intron removal, whereas the loops spanning across cassette exon primarily repress splicing. These "positional rules" can faithfully predict PTBP1-regulated splicing outcomes. We further demonstrate that cancer-related splicing quantitative trait loci can disrupt RNA loops by reducing PTBP1 binding on pre-mRNAs to cause aberrant splicing in tumors. Our study presents a powerful method for exploring the functions of RBP-associated RNA-RNA proximal contacts in gene regulation and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ye
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Naijing Hu
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Changchang Cao
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ruibao Su
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shihan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Chen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Xiangtian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Yuanchao Xue
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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5
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Angulo J, Cáceres CJ, Contreras N, Fernández-García L, Chamond N, Ameur M, Sargueil B, López-Lastra M. Polypyrimidine-Tract-Binding Protein Isoforms Differentially Regulate the Hepatitis C Virus Internal Ribosome Entry Site. Viruses 2022; 15:8. [PMID: 36680049 PMCID: PMC9864772 DOI: 10.3390/v15010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Translation initiation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) mRNA depends on an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) that encompasses most of the 5'UTR and includes nucleotides of the core coding region. This study shows that the polypyrimidine-tract-binding protein (PTB), an RNA-binding protein with four RNA recognition motifs (RRMs), binds to the HCV 5'UTR, stimulating its IRES activity. There are three isoforms of PTB: PTB1, PTB2, and PTB4. Our results show that PTB1 and PTB4, but not PTB2, stimulate HCV IRES activity in HuH-7 and HEK293T cells. In HuH-7 cells, PTB1 promotes HCV IRES-mediated initiation more strongly than PTB4. Mutations in PTB1, PTB4, RRM1/RRM2, or RRM3/RRM4, which disrupt the RRM's ability to bind RNA, abrogated the protein's capacity to stimulate HCV IRES activity in HuH-7 cells. In HEK293T cells, PTB1 and PTB4 stimulate HCV IRES activity to similar levels. In HEK293T cells, mutations in RRM1/RRM2 did not impact PTB1's ability to promote HCV IRES activity; and mutations in PTB1 RRM3/RRM4 domains reduced, but did not abolish, the protein's capacity to stimulate HCV IRES activity. In HEK293T cells, mutations in PTB4 RRM1/RRM2 abrogated the protein's ability to promote HCV IRES activity, and mutations in RRM3/RRM4 have no impact on PTB4 ability to enhance HCV IRES activity. Therefore, PTB1 and PTB4 differentially stimulate the IRES activity in a cell type-specific manner. We conclude that PTB1 and PTB4, but not PTB2, act as IRES transacting factors of the HCV IRES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenniffer Angulo
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago 7501015, Chile
| | - C. Joaquín Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Nataly Contreras
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago 7500975, Chile
| | - Leandro Fernández-García
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
| | - Nathalie Chamond
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8038, Laboratoire CiTCoM, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Melissa Ameur
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8038, Laboratoire CiTCoM, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Bruno Sargueil
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8038, Laboratoire CiTCoM, Université Paris Cité, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Marcelo López-Lastra
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
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6
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Martí-Gómez C, Larrasa-Alonso J, López-Olañeta M, Villalba-Orero M, García-Pavía P, Sánchez-Cabo F, Lara-Pezzi E. Functional Impact and Regulation of Alternative Splicing in Mouse Heart Development and Disease. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2022; 15:1239-1255. [PMID: 35355220 DOI: 10.1007/s12265-022-10244-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) plays a major role in the generation of transcript diversity. In the heart, roles have been described for some AS variants, but the global impact and regulation of AS patterns are poorly understood. Here, we studied the AS profiles in heart disease, their relationship with heart development, and the regulatory mechanisms controlling AS dynamics in the mouse heart. We found that AS profiles characterized the different groups and that AS and gene expression changes affected independent genes and biological functions. Moreover, AS changes, specifically in heart disease, were associated with potential protein-protein interaction changes. While developmental transitions were mainly driven by the upregulation of MBNL1, AS changes in disease were driven by a complex regulatory network, where PTBP1 played a central role. Indeed, PTBP1 over-expression was sufficient to induce cardiac hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction, potentially by perturbing AS patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Martí-Gómez
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - María Villalba-Orero
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo García-Pavía
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
- Heart Failure and Inherited Cardiac Diseases Unit, Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, UFV, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fátima Sánchez-Cabo
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.
- Bioinformatics Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Melchor Fernandez Almagro, 3, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Enrique Lara-Pezzi
- Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cardiovascular (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Salmen F, De Jonghe J, Kaminski TS, Alemany A, Parada GE, Verity-Legg J, Yanagida A, Kohler TN, Battich N, van den Brekel F, Ellermann AL, Arias AM, Nichols J, Hemberg M, Hollfelder F, van Oudenaarden A. High-throughput total RNA sequencing in single cells using VASA-seq. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1780-1793. [PMID: 35760914 PMCID: PMC9750877 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01361-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Most methods for single-cell transcriptome sequencing amplify the termini of polyadenylated transcripts, capturing only a small fraction of the total cellular transcriptome. This precludes the detection of many long non-coding, short non-coding and non-polyadenylated protein-coding transcripts and hinders alternative splicing analysis. We, therefore, developed VASA-seq to detect the total transcriptome in single cells, which is enabled by fragmenting and tailing all RNA molecules subsequent to cell lysis. The method is compatible with both plate-based formats and droplet microfluidics. We applied VASA-seq to more than 30,000 single cells in the developing mouse embryo during gastrulation and early organogenesis. Analyzing the dynamics of the total single-cell transcriptome, we discovered cell type markers, many based on non-coding RNA, and performed in vivo cell cycle analysis via detection of non-polyadenylated histone genes. RNA velocity characterization was improved, accurately retracing blood maturation trajectories. Moreover, our VASA-seq data provide a comprehensive analysis of alternative splicing during mammalian development, which highlighted substantial rearrangements during blood development and heart morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fredrik Salmen
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Joachim De Jonghe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Tomasz S Kaminski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Alemany
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | | | - Joe Verity-Legg
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ayaka Yanagida
- Division of Stem Cell Therapy, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Timo N Kohler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicholas Battich
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Floris van den Brekel
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anna L Ellermann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alfonso Martinez Arias
- Systems Bioengineering, DCEXS, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Doctor Aiguader 88 ICREA (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Alexander van Oudenaarden
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and University Medical Center, Utrecht, Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands.
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8
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Peterson JAM, Cooper TA. Clinical and Molecular Insights into Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Myotonic Dystrophy Types 1 & 2. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314779. [PMID: 36499107 PMCID: PMC9737721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a highly variable, multisystemic disorder that clinically affects one in 8000 individuals. While research has predominantly focused on the symptoms and pathological mechanisms affecting striated muscle and brain, DM patient surveys have identified a high prevalence for gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms amongst affected individuals. Clinical studies have identified chronic and progressive dysfunction of the esophagus, stomach, liver and gallbladder, small and large intestine, and rectum and anal sphincters. Despite the high incidence of GI dysmotility in DM, little is known regarding the pathological mechanisms leading to GI dysfunction. In this review, we summarize results from clinical and molecular analyses of GI dysfunction in both genetic forms of DM, DM type 1 (DM1) and DM type 2 (DM2). Based on current knowledge of DM primary pathological mechanisms in other affected tissues and GI tissue studies, we suggest that misregulation of alternative splicing in smooth muscle resulting from the dysregulation of RNA binding proteins muscleblind-like and CUGBP-elav-like is likely to contribute to GI dysfunction in DM. We propose that a combinatorial approach using clinical and molecular analysis of DM GI tissues and model organisms that recapitulate DM GI manifestations will provide important insight into defects impacting DM GI motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janel A. M. Peterson
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Thomas A. Cooper
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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9
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Liu L, Kryvokhyzha D, Rippe C, Jacob A, Borreguero-Muñoz A, Stenkula KG, Hansson O, Smith CWJ, Fisher SA, Swärd K. Myocardin regulates exon usage in smooth muscle cells through induction of splicing regulatory factors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:459. [PMID: 35913515 PMCID: PMC9343278 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04497-7] [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: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDifferentiation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) depends on serum response factor (SRF) and its co-activator myocardin (MYOCD). The role of MYOCD for the SMC program of gene transcription is well established. In contrast, the role of MYOCD in control of SMC-specific alternative exon usage, including exon splicing, has not been explored. In the current work we identified four splicing factors (MBNL1, RBPMS, RBPMS2, and RBFOX2) that correlate with MYOCD across human SMC tissues. Forced expression of MYOCD family members in human coronary artery SMCs in vitro upregulated expression of these splicing factors. For global profiling of transcript diversity, we performed RNA-sequencing after MYOCD transduction. We analyzed alternative transcripts with three different methods. Exon-based analysis identified 1637 features with differential exon usage. For example, usage of 3´ exons in MYLK that encode telokin increased relative to 5´ exons, as did the 17 kDa telokin to 130 kDa MYLK protein ratio. Dedicated event-based analysis identified 239 MYOCD-driven splicing events. Events involving MBNL1, MCAM, and ACTN1 were among the most prominent, and this was confirmed using variant-specific PCR analyses. In support of a role for RBPMS and RBFOX2 in MYOCD-driven splicing we found enrichment of their binding motifs around differentially spliced exons. Moreover, knockdown of either RBPMS or RBFOX2 antagonized splicing events stimulated by MYOCD, including those involving ACTN1, VCL, and MBNL1. Supporting an in vivo role of MYOCD-SRF-driven splicing, we demonstrate altered Rbpms expression and splicing in inducible and SMC-specific Srf knockout mice. We conclude that MYOCD-SRF, in part via RBPMS and RBFOX2, induce a program of differential exon usage and alternative splicing as part of the broader program of SMC differentiation.
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10
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Cao J, Routh AL, Kuyumcu-Martinez MN. Nanopore sequencing reveals full-length Tropomyosin 1 isoforms and their regulation by RNA-binding proteins during rat heart development. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:8352-8362. [PMID: 34302435 PMCID: PMC8419188 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) contributes to the diversity of the proteome by producing multiple isoforms from a single gene. Although short‐read RNA‐sequencing methods have been the gold standard for determining AS patterns of genes, they have a difficulty in defining full‐length mRNA isoforms assembled using different exon combinations. Tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) is an actin‐binding protein required for cytoskeletal functions in non‐muscle cells and for contraction in muscle cells. Tpm1 undergoes AS regulation to generate muscle versus non‐muscle TPM1 protein isoforms with distinct physiological functions. It is unclear which full‐length Tpm1 isoforms are produced via AS and how they are regulated during heart development. To address these, we utilized nanopore long‐read cDNA sequencing without gene‐specific PCR amplification. In rat hearts, we identified full‐length Tpm1 isoforms composed of distinct exons with specific exon linkages. We showed that Tpm1 undergoes AS transitions during embryonic heart development such that muscle‐specific exons are connected generating predominantly muscle‐specific Tpm1 isoforms in adult hearts. We found that the RNA‐binding protein RBFOX2 controls AS of rat Tpm1 exon 6a, which is important for cooperative actin binding. Furthermore, RBFOX2 regulates Tpm1 AS of exon 6a antagonistically to the RNA‐binding protein PTBP1. In sum, we defined full‐length Tpm1 isoforms with different exon combinations that are tightly regulated during cardiac development and provided insights into the regulation of Tpm1 AS by RNA‐binding proteins. Our results demonstrate that nanopore sequencing is an excellent tool to determine full‐length AS variants of muscle‐enriched genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew L Routh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.,Sealy Centre for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Muge N Kuyumcu-Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.,Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
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11
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Zhu C, Wu J, Sun H, Briganti F, Meder B, Wei W, Steinmetz LM. Single-molecule, full-length transcript isoform sequencing reveals disease-associated RNA isoforms in cardiomyocytes. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4203. [PMID: 34244519 PMCID: PMC8270901 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24484-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing generates differing RNA isoforms that govern phenotypic complexity of eukaryotes. Its malfunction underlies many diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Comparative analysis of RNA isoforms at the genome-wide scale has been difficult. Here, we establish an experimental and computational pipeline that performs de novo transcript annotation and accurately quantifies transcript isoforms from cDNA sequences with a full-length isoform detection accuracy of 97.6%. We generate a searchable, quantitative human transcriptome annotation with 31,025 known and 5,740 novel transcript isoforms ( http://steinmetzlab.embl.de/iBrowser/ ). By analyzing the isoforms in the presence of RNA Binding Motif Protein 20 (RBM20) mutations associated with aggressive dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we identify 121 differentially expressed transcript isoforms in 107 cardiac genes. Our approach enables quantitative dissection of complex transcript architecture instead of mere identification of inclusion or exclusion of individual exons, as exemplified by the discovery of IMMT isoforms mis-spliced by RBM20 mutations. Thereby we achieve a path to direct differential expression testing independent of an existing annotation of transcript isoforms, providing more immediate biological interpretation and higher resolution transcriptome comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Zhu
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Jingyan Wu
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Han Sun
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Francesca Briganti
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
- Cardiovascular Institute and Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Meder
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
- Institute for Cardiomyopathies Heidelberg (ICH), Heart Center Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wu Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Big Data in Pediatric Precision Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.
| | - Lars M Steinmetz
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Cardiovascular Institute and Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), partner site EMBL Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Weskamp K, Olwin BB, Parker R. Post-Transcriptional Regulation in Skeletal Muscle Development, Repair, and Disease. Trends Mol Med 2020; 27:469-481. [PMID: 33384234 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle formation is a complex process that requires tight spatiotemporal control of key myogenic factors. Emerging evidence suggests that RNA processing is crucial for the regulation of these factors, and that multiple post-transcriptional regulatory pathways work dependently and independently of one another to enable precise control of transcripts throughout muscle development and repair. Moreover, disruption of these pathways is implicated in neuromuscular disease, and the recent development of RNA-mediated therapies shows enormous promise in the treatment of these disorders. We discuss the overlapping post-transcriptional regulatory pathways that mediate muscle development, how these pathways are disrupted in neuromuscular disorders, and advances in RNA-mediated therapies that present a novel approach to the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Weskamp
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Bradley B Olwin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Roy Parker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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13
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Hung CS, Lin JC. Alternatively spliced MBNL1 isoforms exhibit differential influence on enhancing brown adipogenesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1863:194437. [PMID: 31730826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.194437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Browning of white adipocytes (WAs) (also referred as beige cells) was demonstrated to execute thermogenesis by consuming stored lipids as do brown adipocytes (BAs), and this is highly related to metabolic homeostasis. Alternative splicing (AS) constitutes a pivotal mechanism for defining cellular fates and functional specifications. Nevertheless, the impacts of AS regulation on the browning of WAs have not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we first identified the discriminative expression and splicing profiles of the muscleblind-like 1 (MBNL1) gene in postnatal brown adipose tissues (BATs) compared to those of embryonic BATs. A shift in the MBNL1+ex 5 isoform 7 (MBNL17) to MBNL1-ex 5 isoform 1 (MBNL11) was characterized throughout BAT development or during the in vitro browning of pre-WAs, 3T3-L1 cells. The interplay between MBNL1 and the exonic CCUG motif constitutes an autoregulatory mechanism for excluding MBNL1 exon 5. The simultaneous association of RNA-binding motif protein 4a (RBM4a) with exonic and intronic CU elements collaboratively mediates the skipping of MBNL1 exon 5. Overexpressing the MBNL11 isoform exhibited a more-prominent effect than that of the MBNL17 isoform on programming its own transcripts and beige cell-related splicing events in a CCUG motif-mediated manner. In addition to splicing regulation, overexpression of the MBNL11 and MBNL17 isoforms differentially enhanced beige adipogenic signatures of 3T3-L1 cells. Our findings demonstrated that MBNL1 constitutes an emerging and autoregulatory mechanism involved in development of beige cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Sheng Hung
- PhD Program in Medicine Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Chun Lin
- PhD Program in Medicine Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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14
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Jobbins AM, Reichenbach LF, Lucas CM, Hudson AJ, Burley GA, Eperon IC. The mechanisms of a mammalian splicing enhancer. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:2145-2158. [PMID: 29394380 PMCID: PMC5861446 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) sequences are bound by serine & arginine-rich (SR) proteins, which in turn enhance the recruitment of splicing factors. It was inferred from measurements of splicing around twenty years ago that Drosophila doublesex ESEs are bound stably by SR proteins, and that the bound proteins interact directly but with low probability with their targets. However, it has not been possible with conventional methods to demonstrate whether mammalian ESEs behave likewise. Using single molecule multi-colour colocalization methods to study SRSF1-dependent ESEs, we have found that that the proportion of RNA molecules bound by SRSF1 increases with the number of ESE repeats, but only a single molecule of SRSF1 is bound. We conclude that initial interactions between SRSF1 and an ESE are weak and transient, and that these limit the activity of a mammalian ESE. We tested whether the activation step involves the propagation of proteins along the RNA or direct interactions with 3' splice site components by inserting hexaethylene glycol or abasic RNA between the ESE and the target 3' splice site. These insertions did not block activation, and we conclude that the activation step involves direct interactions. These results support a model in which regulatory proteins bind transiently and in dynamic competition, with the result that each ESE in an exon contributes independently to the probability that an activator protein is bound and in close proximity to a splice site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Jobbins
- Leicester Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK
| | | | - Christian M Lucas
- Leicester Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew J Hudson
- Leicester Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, UK
| | - Glenn A Burley
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, UK
| | - Ian C Eperon
- Leicester Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Leicester, UK
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15
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Nakagaki-Silva EE, Gooding C, Llorian M, Jacob AG, Richards F, Buckroyd A, Sinha S, Smith CW. Identification of RBPMS as a mammalian smooth muscle master splicing regulator via proximity of its gene with super-enhancers. eLife 2019; 8:46327. [PMID: 31283468 PMCID: PMC6613909 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) programs are primarily controlled by regulatory RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). It has been proposed that a small number of master splicing regulators might control cell-specific splicing networks and that these RBPs could be identified by proximity of their genes to transcriptional super-enhancers. Using this approach we identified RBPMS as a critical splicing regulator in differentiated vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs). RBPMS is highly down-regulated during phenotypic switching of SMCs from a contractile to a motile and proliferative phenotype and is responsible for 20% of the AS changes during this transition. RBPMS directly regulates AS of numerous components of the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion machineries whose activity is critical for SMC function in both phenotypes. RBPMS also regulates splicing of other splicing, post-transcriptional and transcription regulators including the key SMC transcription factor Myocardin, thereby matching many of the criteria of a master regulator of AS in SMCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clare Gooding
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Miriam Llorian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aishwarya G Jacob
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Anne McLaren Laboratory, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Frederick Richards
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Buckroyd
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Anne McLaren Laboratory, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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16
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Hamid FM, Makeyev EV. A mechanism underlying position-specific regulation of alternative splicing. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 45:12455-12468. [PMID: 30053257 PMCID: PMC5716086 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many RNA-binding proteins including a master regulator of splicing in developing brain and muscle, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), can either activate or repress alternative exons depending on the pre-mRNA recruitment position. When bound upstream or within regulated exons PTBP1 tends to promote their skipping, whereas binding to downstream sites often stimulates inclusion. How this switch is orchestrated at the molecular level is poorly understood. Using bioinformatics and biochemical approaches we show that interaction of PTBP1 with downstream intronic sequences can activate natural cassette exons by promoting productive docking of the spliceosomal U1 snRNP to a suboptimal 5' splice site. Strikingly, introducing upstream PTBP1 sites to this circuitry leads to a potent splicing repression accompanied by the assembly of an exonic ribonucleoprotein complex with a tightly bound U1 but not U2 snRNP. Our data suggest a molecular mechanism underlying the transition between a better-known repressive function of PTBP1 and its role as a bona fide splicing activator. More generally, we argue that the functional outcome of individual RNA contacts made by an RNA-binding protein is subject to extensive context-specific modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fursham M Hamid
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Eugene V Makeyev
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
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17
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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.
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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.
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18
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Abstract
Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins bind to hundreds of pre- and mature mRNAs to regulate their alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, stability and subcellular localization. Once MBNLs are withheld from transcript regulation, cellular machineries generate products inapt for precise embryonal/adult developmental tasks and myotonic dystrophy, a devastating multi-systemic genetic disorder, develops. We have recently demonstrated that all three MBNL paralogs are capable of fine-tuning cellular content of one of the three MBNL paralogs, MBNL1, by binding to the first coding exon (e1) of its pre-mRNA. Intriguingly, this autoregulatory feedback loop grounded on alternative splicing of e1 appears to play a crucial role in delaying the onset of myotonic dystrophy. Here, we describe this process in the context of other autoregulatory and regulatory loops that maintain the content and diverse functions of MBNL proteins at optimal level in health and disease, thus supporting the overall cellular homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patryk Konieczny
- a Department of Gene Expression , Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University , Poland
| | - Ewa Stepniak-Konieczna
- a Department of Gene Expression , Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University , Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sobczak
- a Department of Gene Expression , Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University , Poland
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19
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Chen L, Weinmeister R, Kralovicova J, Eperon LP, Vorechovsky I, Hudson AJ, Eperon IC. Stoichiometries of U2AF35, U2AF65 and U2 snRNP reveal new early spliceosome assembly pathways. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:2051-2067. [PMID: 27683217 PMCID: PMC5389562 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The selection of 3΄ splice sites (3΄ss) is an essential early step in mammalian RNA splicing reactions, but the processes involved are unknown. We have used single molecule methods to test whether the major components implicated in selection, the proteins U2AF35 and U2AF65 and the U2 snRNP, are able to recognize alternative candidate sites or are restricted to one pre-specified site. In the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), all three components bind in a 1:1 stoichiometry with a 3΄ss. Pre-mRNA molecules with two alternative 3΄ss can be bound concurrently by two molecules of U2AF or two U2 snRNPs, so none of the components are restricted. However, concurrent occupancy inhibits splicing. Stoichiometric binding requires conditions consistent with coalescence of the 5΄ and 3΄ sites in a complex (I, initial), but if this cannot form the components show unrestricted and stochastic association. In the absence of ATP, when complex E forms, U2 snRNP association is unrestricted. However, if protein dephosphorylation is prevented, an I-like complex forms with stoichiometric association of U2 snRNPs and the U2 snRNA is base-paired to the pre-mRNA. Complex I differs from complex A in that the formation of complex A is associated with the loss of U2AF65 and 35.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Chen
- University of Leicester, Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Robert Weinmeister
- University of Leicester, Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Jana Kralovicova
- University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Lucy P Eperon
- University of Leicester, Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Igor Vorechovsky
- University of Southampton, Faculty of Medicine, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Andrew J Hudson
- University of Leicester, Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Chemistry, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ian C Eperon
- University of Leicester, Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
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20
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Functional interactions between polypyrimidine tract binding protein and PRI peptide ligand containing proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 44:1058-65. [PMID: 27528752 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTBP1) is a heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) that plays roles in most stages of the life-cycle of pre-mRNA and mRNAs in the nucleus and cytoplasm. PTBP1 has four RNA binding domains of the RNA recognition motif (RRM) family, each of which can bind to pyrimidine motifs. In addition, RRM2 can interact via its dorsal surface with proteins containing short peptide ligands known as PTB RRM2 interacting (PRI) motifs, originally found in the protein Raver1. Here we review our recent progress in understanding the interactions of PTB with RNA and with various proteins containing PRI ligands.
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21
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Wongpalee SP, Vashisht A, Sharma S, Chui D, Wohlschlegel JA, Black DL. Large-scale remodeling of a repressed exon ribonucleoprotein to an exon definition complex active for splicing. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27882870 PMCID: PMC5122456 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Polypyrimidine-tract binding protein PTBP1 can repress splicing during the exon definition phase of spliceosome assembly, but the assembly steps leading to an exon definition complex (EDC) and how PTBP1 might modulate them are not clear. We found that PTBP1 binding in the flanking introns allowed normal U2AF and U1 snRNP binding to the target exon splice sites but blocked U2 snRNP assembly in HeLa nuclear extract. Characterizing a purified PTBP1-repressed complex, as well as an active early complex and the final EDC by SILAC-MS, we identified extensive PTBP1-modulated changes in exon RNP composition. The active early complex formed in the absence of PTBP1 proceeded to assemble an EDC with the eviction of hnRNP proteins, the late recruitment of SR proteins, and binding of the U2 snRNP. These results demonstrate that during early stages of splicing, exon RNP complexes are highly dynamic with many proteins failing to bind during PTBP1 arrest. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19743.001
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Affiliation(s)
- Somsakul Pop Wongpalee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Ajay Vashisht
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Shalini Sharma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, Phoenix, United States
| | - Darryl Chui
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - James A Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Douglas L Black
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
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22
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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.
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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
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23
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Abstract
Splicing can be epigenetically regulated and involved in cellular differentiation in somatic cells, but the interplay of epigenetic factors and the splicing machinery during spermatogenesis remains unclear. To study these interactions in vivo, we generated a germline deletion of MORF-related gene on chromosome 15 (MRG15), a multifunctional chromatin organizer that binds to methylated histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) in introns of transcriptionally active genes and has been implicated in regulation of histone acetylation, homology-directed DNA repair, and alternative splicing in somatic cells. Conditional KO (cKO) males lacking MRG15 in the germline are sterile secondary to spermatogenic arrest at the round spermatid stage. There were no significant alterations in meiotic division and histone acetylation. Specific mRNA sequences disappeared from 66 germ cell-expressed genes in the absence of MRG15, and specific intronic sequences were retained in mRNAs of 4 genes in the MRG15 cKO testes. In particular, introns were retained in mRNAs encoding the transition proteins that replace histones during sperm chromatin condensation. In round spermatids, MRG15 colocalizes with splicing factors PTBP1 and PTBP2 at H3K36me3 sites between the exons and single intron of transition nuclear protein 2 (Tnp2). Thus, our results reveal that MRG15 is essential for pre-mRNA splicing during spermatogenesis and that epigenetic regulation of pre-mRNA splicing by histone modification could be useful to understand not only spermatogenesis but also, epigenetic disorders underlying male infertile patients.
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24
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Keppetipola NM, Yeom KH, Hernandez AL, Bui T, Sharma S, Black DL. Multiple determinants of splicing repression activity in the polypyrimidine tract binding proteins, PTBP1 and PTBP2. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 22:1172-1180. [PMID: 27288314 PMCID: PMC4931110 DOI: 10.1261/rna.057505.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Most human genes generate multiple protein isoforms through alternative pre-mRNA splicing, but the mechanisms controlling alternative splicing choices by RNA binding proteins are not well understood. These proteins can have multiple paralogs expressed in different cell types and exhibiting different splicing activities on target exons. We examined the paralogous polypyrimidine tract binding proteins PTBP1 and PTBP2 to understand how PTBP1 can exhibit greater splicing repression activity on certain exons. Using both an in vivo coexpression assay and an in vitro splicing assay, we show that PTBP1 is more repressive than PTBP2 per unit protein on a target exon. Constructing chimeras of PTBP1 and 2 to determine amino acid features that contribute to their differential activity, we find that multiple segments of PTBP1 increase the repressive activity of PTBP2. Notably, when either RRM1 of PTBP2 or the linker peptide separating RRM2 and RRM3 are replaced with the equivalent PTBP1 sequences, the resulting chimeras are highly active for splicing repression. These segments are distinct from the known region of interaction for the PTBP1 cofactors Raver1 and Matrin3 in RRM2. We find that RRM2 of PTBP1 also increases the repression activity of an otherwise PTBP2 sequence, and that this is potentially explained by stronger binding by Raver1. These results indicate that multiple features over the length of the two proteins affect their ability to repress an exon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niroshika M Keppetipola
- California State University Fullerton, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Fullerton, California 92831, USA
| | - Kyu-Hyeon Yeom
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Adrian L Hernandez
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Tessa Bui
- California State University Fullerton, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Fullerton, California 92831, USA
| | - Shalini Sharma
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, USA
| | - Douglas L Black
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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25
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Llorian M, Gooding C, Bellora N, Hallegger M, Buckroyd A, Wang X, Rajgor D, Kayikci M, Feltham J, Ule J, Eyras E, Smith CWJ. The alternative splicing program of differentiated smooth muscle cells involves concerted non-productive splicing of post-transcriptional regulators. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:8933-8950. [PMID: 27317697 PMCID: PMC5062968 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) is a key component of gene expression programs that drive cellular differentiation. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are important in the function of a number of physiological systems; however, investigation of SMC AS has been restricted to a handful of events. We profiled transcriptome changes in mouse de-differentiating SMCs and observed changes in hundreds of AS events. Exons included in differentiated cells were characterized by particularly weak splice sites and by upstream binding sites for Polypyrimidine Tract Binding protein (PTBP1). Consistent with this, knockdown experiments showed that that PTBP1 represses many smooth muscle specific exons. We also observed coordinated splicing changes predicted to downregulate the expression of core components of U1 and U2 snRNPs, splicing regulators and other post-transcriptional factors in differentiated cells. The levels of cognate proteins were lower or similar in differentiated compared to undifferentiated cells. However, levels of snRNAs did not follow the expression of splicing proteins, and in the case of U1 snRNP we saw reciprocal changes in the levels of U1 snRNA and U1 snRNP proteins. Our results suggest that the AS program in differentiated SMCs is orchestrated by the combined influence of auxiliary RNA binding proteins, such as PTBP1, along with altered activity and stoichiometry of the core splicing machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Llorian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Clare Gooding
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Nicolas Bellora
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), E08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Martina Hallegger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK Computational Genomics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, E08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrian Buckroyd
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Dipen Rajgor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Melis Kayikci
- INIBIOMA, CONICET-UNComahue, Bariloche 8400 Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jack Feltham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Jernej Ule
- Computational Genomics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, E08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Eyras
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Christopher W J Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
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Cáceres CJ, Contreras N, Angulo J, Vera-Otarola J, Pino-Ajenjo C, Llorian M, Ameur M, Lisboa F, Pino K, Lowy F, Sargueil B, López-Lastra M. Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein binds to the 5' untranslated region of the mouse mammary tumor virus mRNA and stimulates cap-independent translation initiation. FEBS J 2016; 283:1880-901. [PMID: 26972759 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the full-length mRNA of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) harbors an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES). In this study, we show that the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB), an RNA-binding protein with four RNA recognition motifs (RRMs), binds to the MMTV 5' UTR stimulating its IRES activity. There are three isoforms of PTB: PTB1, PTB2, and PTB4. Results show that PTB1 and PTB4, but not PTB2, stimulate MMTV-IRES activity. PTB1 promotes MMTV-IRES-mediated initiation more strongly than PTB4. When expressed in combination, PTB1 further enhanced PTB4 stimulation of the MMTV-IRES, while PTB2 fully abrogates PTB4-induced stimulation. PTB1-induced stimulation of MMTV-IRES was not altered in the presence of PTB4 or PTB2. Mutational analysis reveals that stimulation of MMTV-IRES activity is abrogated when PTB1 is mutated either in RRM1/RRM2 or RRM3/RRM4. In contrast, a PTB4 RRM1/RRM2 mutant has reduced effect over MMTV-IRES activity, while stimulation of the MMTV-IRES activity is still observed when the PTB4 RRM3/RMM4 mutant is used. Therefore, PTB1 and PTB4 differentially stimulate the IRES activity. In contrast, PTB2 acts as a negative modulator of PTB4-induced stimulation of MMTV-IRES. We conclude that PTB1 and PTB4 act as IRES trans-acting factors of the MMTV-IRES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nataly Contreras
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jenniffer Angulo
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Vera-Otarola
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Constanza Pino-Ajenjo
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Melissa Ameur
- Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8015, Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN Biologique, Université Paris Descartes, France
| | - Francisco Lisboa
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karla Pino
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Lowy
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bruno Sargueil
- Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 8015, Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN Biologique, Université Paris Descartes, France
| | - Marcelo López-Lastra
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Instituto Milenio de Inmunología e Inmunoterapia, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas, Departamento de Enfermedades Infecciosas e Inmunología Pediátrica, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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27
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IntSplice: prediction of the splicing consequences of intronic single-nucleotide variations in the human genome. J Hum Genet 2016; 61:633-40. [PMID: 27009626 DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2016.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal regulation of splicing is mediated by splicing cis-elements on pre-mRNA. Single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) affecting intronic cis-elements possibly compromise splicing, but no efficient tool has been available to identify them. Following an effect-size analysis of each intronic nucleotide on annotated alternative splicing, we extracted 105 parameters that could affect the strength of the splicing signals. However, we could not generate reliable support vector regression models to predict the percent-splice-in (PSI) scores for normal human tissues. Next, we generated support vector machine (SVM) models using 110 parameters to directly differentiate pathogenic SNVs in the Human Gene Mutation Database and normal SNVs in the dbSNP database, and we obtained models with a sensitivity of 0.800±0.041 (mean and s.d.) and a specificity of 0.849±0.021. Our IntSplice models were more discriminating than SVM models that we generated with Shapiro-Senapathy score and MaxEntScan::score3ss. We applied IntSplice to a naturally occurring and nine artificial intronic mutations in RAPSN causing congenital myasthenic syndrome. IntSplice correctly predicted the splicing consequences for nine of the ten mutants. We created a web service program, IntSplice (http://www.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp/neurogenetics/IntSplice) to predict splicing-affecting SNVs at intronic positions from -50 to -3.
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28
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Konieczny P, Stepniak-Konieczna E, Sobczak K. MBNL proteins and their target RNAs, interaction and splicing regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:10873-87. [PMID: 25183524 PMCID: PMC4176163 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins are key regulators of precursor and mature mRNA metabolism in mammals. Based on published and novel data, we explore models of tissue-specific MBNL interaction with RNA. We portray MBNL domains critical for RNA binding and splicing regulation, and the structure of MBNL's normal and pathogenic RNA targets, particularly in the context of myotonic dystrophy (DM), in which expanded CUG or CCUG repeat transcripts sequester several nuclear proteins including MBNLs. We also review the properties of MBNL/RNA complex, including recent data obtained from UV cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP-Seq), and discuss how this interaction shapes normal MBNL-dependent alternative splicing regulation. Finally, we review how this acquired knowledge about the pathogenic RNA structure and nature of MBNL sequestration can be translated into the design of therapeutic strategies against DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patryk Konieczny
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Ewa Stepniak-Konieczna
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sobczak
- Department of Gene Expression, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
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29
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Mickleburgh I, Kafasla P, Cherny D, Llorian M, Curry S, Jackson RJ, Smith CWJ. The organization of RNA contacts by PTB for regulation of FAS splicing. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:8605-20. [PMID: 24957602 PMCID: PMC4117754 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-transcriptional steps of gene expression are regulated by RNA binding proteins. Major progress has been made in characterizing RNA-protein interactions, from high resolution structures to transcriptome-wide profiling. Due to the inherent technical challenges, less attention has been paid to the way in which proteins with multiple RNA binding domains engage with target RNAs. We have investigated how the four RNA recognition motif (RRM) domains of Polypyrimidine tract binding (PTB) protein, a major splicing regulator, interact with FAS pre-mRNA under conditions in which PTB represses FAS exon 6 splicing. A combination of tethered hydroxyl radical probing, targeted inactivation of individual RRMs and single molecule analyses revealed an unequal division of labour between the four RRMs of PTB. RNA binding by RRM4 is the most important for function despite the low intrinsic binding specificity and the complete lack of effect of disrupting individual RRM4 contact points on the RNA. The ordered RRM3-4 di-domain packing provides an extended binding surface for RNA interacting at RRM4, via basic residues in the preceding linker. Our results illustrate how multiple alternative low-specificity binding configurations of RRM4 are consistent with repressor function as long as the overall ribonucleoprotein architecture provided by appropriate di-domain packing is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Mickleburgh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Panagiota Kafasla
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Dmitry Cherny
- Department of Biochemistry, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Miriam Llorian
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Stephen Curry
- Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard J Jackson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Christopher W J Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK
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30
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Kim T, Kim JO, Oh JG, Hong SE, Kim DH. Pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy is associated with distinct alternative splicing due to altered expression of splicing factors. Mol Cells 2014; 37:81-7. [PMID: 24552714 PMCID: PMC3907004 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2014.2337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy is associated with an increased risk of morbidity/mortality, largely due to maladaptive remodeling and dilatation that progresses to dilated cardiomyopathy. Alternative splicing is an important biological mechanism that generates proteomic complexity and diversity. The recent development of next-generation RNA sequencing has improved our understanding of the qualitative signatures associated with alternative splicing in various biological conditions. However, the role of alternative splicing in cardiac hypertrophy is yet unknown. The present study employed RNA-Seq and a bioinformatic approach to detect the RNA splicing regulatory elements involved in alternative splicing during pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. We found GC-rich exonic motifs that regulate intron retention in 5' UTRs and AT-rich exonic motifs that are involved in exclusion of the AT-rich elements that cause mRNA instability in 3' UTRs. We also identified motifs in the intronic regions involved in exon exclusion and inclusion, which predicted splicing factors that bind to these motifs. We found, through Western blotting, that the expression levels of three splicing factors, ESRP1, PTB and SF2/ASF, were significantly altered during cardiac hypertrophy. Collectively, the present results suggest that chronic pressure-overload hypertrophy is closely associated with distinct alternative splicing due to altered expression of splicing factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taeyong Kim
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Jin Ock Kim
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | | | - Seong-Eui Hong
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
| | - Do Han Kim
- School of Life Sciences and Systems Biology Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712,
Korea
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31
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Edge C, Gooding C, Smith CWJ. Dissecting domains necessary for activation and repression of splicing by Muscleblind-like protein 1. BMC Mol Biol 2013; 14:29. [PMID: 24373687 PMCID: PMC3880588 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2199-14-29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alternative splicing contributes to the diversity of the proteome, and provides the cell with an important additional layer of regulation of gene expression. Among the many RNA binding proteins that regulate alternative splicing pathways are the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins. MBNL proteins bind YGCY motifs in RNA via four CCCH zinc fingers arranged in two tandem arrays, and play a crucial role in the transition from embryonic to adult muscle splicing patterns, deregulation of which leads to Myotonic Dystrophy. Like many other RNA binding proteins, MBNL proteins can act as both activators or repressors of different splicing events. Results We used targeted point mutations to interfere with the RNA binding of MBNL1 zinc fingers individually and in combination. The effects of the mutations were tested in assays for splicing repression and activation, including overexpression, complementation of siRNA-mediated knockdown, and artificial tethering using MS2 coat protein. Mutations were tested in the context of both full length MBNL1 as well as a series of truncation mutants. Individual mutations within full length MBNL1 had little effect, but mutations in ZF1 and 2 combined were more detrimental than those in ZF 3 and 4, upon splicing activation, repression and RNA binding. Activation and repression both required linker sequences between ZF2 and 3, but activation was more sensitive to loss of linker sequences. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of RNA binding by MBNL ZF domains 1 and 2 for splicing regulatory activity, even when the protein is artificially recruited to its regulatory location on target RNAs. However, RNA binding is not sufficient for activity; additional regions between ZF 2 and 3 are also essential. Activation and repression show differential sensitivity to truncation of this linker region, suggesting interactions with different sets of cofactors for the two types of activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christopher W J Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
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32
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New insights into functional roles of the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein. Int J Mol Sci 2013; 14:22906-32. [PMID: 24264039 PMCID: PMC3856098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms141122906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Polypyrimidine Tract Binding Protein (PTB) is an intensely studied RNA binding protein involved in several post-transcriptional regulatory events of gene expression. Initially described as a pre-mRNA splicing regulator, PTB is now widely accepted as a multifunctional protein shuttling between nucleus and cytoplasm. Accordingly, PTB can interact with selected RNA targets, structural elements and proteins. There is increasing evidence that PTB and its paralog PTBP2 play a major role as repressors of alternatively spliced exons, whose transcription is tissue-regulated. In addition to alternative splicing, PTB is involved in almost all steps of mRNA metabolism, including polyadenylation, mRNA stability and initiation of protein translation. Furthermore, it is well established that PTB recruitment in internal ribosome entry site (IRES) activates the translation of picornaviral and cellular proteins. Detailed studies of the structural properties of PTB have contributed to our understanding of the mechanism of RNA binding by RNA Recognition Motif (RRM) domains. In the present review, we will describe the structural properties of PTB, its paralogs and co-factors, the role in post-transcriptional regulation and actions in cell differentiation and pathogenesis. Defining the multifunctional roles of PTB will contribute to the understanding of key regulatory events in gene expression.
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33
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Schmid R, Grellscheid SN, Ehrmann I, Dalgliesh C, Danilenko M, Paronetto MP, Pedrotti S, Grellscheid D, Dixon RJ, Sette C, Eperon IC, Elliott DJ. The splicing landscape is globally reprogrammed during male meiosis. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:10170-84. [PMID: 24038356 PMCID: PMC3905889 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Meiosis requires conserved transcriptional changes, but it is not known whether there is a corresponding set of RNA splicing switches. Here, we used RNAseq of mouse testis to identify changes associated with the progression from mitotic spermatogonia to meiotic spermatocytes. We identified ∼150 splicing switches, most of which affect conserved protein-coding exons. The expression of many key splicing regulators changed in the course of meiosis, including downregulation of polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTBP1) and heterogeneous nuclear RNP A1, and upregulation of nPTB, Tra2β, muscleblind, CELF proteins, Sam68 and T-STAR. The sequences near the regulated exons were significantly enriched in target sites for PTB, Tra2β and STAR proteins. Reporter minigene experiments investigating representative exons in transfected cells showed that PTB binding sites were critical for splicing of a cassette exon in the Ralgps2 mRNA and a shift in alternative 5′ splice site usage in the Bptf mRNA. We speculate that nPTB might functionally replace PTBP1 during meiosis for some target exons, with changes in the expression of other splicing factors helping to establish meiotic splicing patterns. Our data suggest that there are substantial changes in the determinants and patterns of alternative splicing in the mitotic-to-meiotic transition of the germ cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Schmid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester, LE1 9HN, UK, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK, School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK, Department of Health Sciences, University of 00135 Rome 'Foro Italico', Rome, Italy, Laboratories of Neuroembryology and of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, 00143 Rome, Italy, Department of Public Health and Cell Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy, Institute of Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK and Life Technologies Ltd., Paisley PA4 9RF, UK
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