1
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Ciampi L, Serrano L, Irimia M. Unique transcriptomes of sensory and non-sensory neurons: insights from Splicing Regulatory States. Mol Syst Biol 2024; 20:296-310. [PMID: 38438733 PMCID: PMC10987577 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00020-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Alternative Splicing (AS) programs serve as instructive signals of cell type specificity, particularly within the brain, which comprises dozens of molecularly and functionally distinct cell types. Among them, retinal photoreceptors stand out due to their unique transcriptome, making them a particularly well-suited system for studying how AS shapes cell type-specific molecular functions. Here, we use the Splicing Regulatory State (SRS) as a novel framework to discuss the splicing factors governing the unique AS pattern of photoreceptors, and how this pattern may aid in the specification of their highly specialized sensory cilia. In addition, we discuss how other sensory cells with ciliated structures, for which data is much scarcer, also rely on specific SRSs to implement a proteome specialized in the detection of sensory stimuli. By reviewing the general rules of cell type- and tissue-specific AS programs, firstly in the brain and subsequently in specialized sensory neurons, we propose a novel paradigm on how SRSs are established and how they can diversify. Finally, we illustrate how SRSs shape the outcome of mutations in splicing factors to produce cell type-specific phenotypes that can lead to various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Ciampi
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Luis Serrano
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Center for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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2
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Molecular machinery regulating organelle dynamics during axon growth and guidance. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 133:3-9. [PMID: 35227625 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Axon growth and guidance in the developing nervous system rely on intracellular membrane dynamics that involve endosome maturation and transport, as well as its regulated tethering to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent studies have identified several key molecules, such as protrudin, which plays a dynamic role at membrane contact sites between the ER and endosomes/lysosomes, and myosin Va, which acts as a sensor for ER-derived Ca2+ that triggers peri-ER membrane export. These molecules form different types of multiprotein complexes at the interface of organelles and, in response to their surrounding microenvironments, such as Ca2+ concentrations and lipid contents, regulate the directional movement of endosomal vesicles in extending axons. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying membrane dynamics and inter-organelle interactions during neuronal morphogenesis.
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3
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Pitolli C, Marini A, Sette C, Pagliarini V. Non-Canonical Splicing and Its Implications in Brain Physiology and Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052811. [PMID: 35269953 PMCID: PMC8911335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The advance of experimental and computational techniques has allowed us to highlight the existence of numerous different mechanisms of RNA maturation, which have been so far unknown. Besides canonical splicing, consisting of the removal of introns from pre-mRNA molecules, non-canonical splicing events may occur to further increase the regulatory and coding potential of the human genome. Among these, splicing of microexons, recursive splicing and biogenesis of circular and chimeric RNAs through back-splicing and trans-splicing processes, respectively, all contribute to expanding the repertoire of RNA transcripts with newly acquired regulatory functions. Interestingly, these non-canonical splicing events seem to occur more frequently in the central nervous system, affecting neuronal development and differentiation programs with important implications on brain physiology. Coherently, dysregulation of non-canonical RNA processing events is associated with brain disorders, including brain tumours. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge on molecular and regulatory mechanisms underlying canonical and non-canonical splicing events with particular emphasis on cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors that all together orchestrate splicing catalysis reactions and decisions. Lastly, we review the impact of non-canonical splicing on brain physiology and pathology and how unconventional splicing mechanisms may be targeted or exploited for novel therapeutic strategies in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Consuelo Pitolli
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (C.S.)
- GSTEP-Organoids Research Core Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alberto Marini
- GSTEP-Organoids Research Core Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Claudio Sette
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (C.S.)
- GSTEP-Organoids Research Core Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Vittoria Pagliarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Human Anatomy, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (C.S.)
- GSTEP-Organoids Research Core Facility, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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4
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Cheng Q, He B, Zhao C, Bi H, Chen D, Han S, Gao H, Feng W. Prediction of functional microexons by transfer learning. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:855. [PMID: 34836511 PMCID: PMC8627023 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08187-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microexons are a particular kind of exon of less than 30 nucleotides in length. More than 60% of annotated human microexons were found to have high levels of sequence conservation, suggesting their potential functions. There is thus a need to develop a method for predicting functional microexons. Results Given the lack of a publicly available functional label for microexons, we employed a transfer learning skill called Transfer Component Analysis (TCA) to transfer the knowledge obtained from feature mapping for the prediction of functional microexons. To provide reference knowledge, microindels were chosen because of their similarities to microexons. Then, Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used to train a classification model in the newly built feature space for the functional microindels. With the trained model, functional microexons were predicted. We also built a tool based on this model to predict other functional microexons. We then used this tool to predict a total of 19 functional microexons reported in the literature. This approach successfully predicted 16 out of 19 samples, giving accuracy greater than 80%. Conclusions In this study, we proposed a method for predicting functional microexons and applied it, with the predictive results being largely consistent with records in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Cheng
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Bo He
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China.
| | - Chengkui Zhao
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongyuan Bi
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Duojiao Chen
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuangze Han
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Haikuan Gao
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China
| | - Weixing Feng
- College of Intelligent Systems Science and Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China.
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5
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Choudhary B, Marx O, Norris AD. Spliceosomal component PRP-40 is a central regulator of microexon splicing. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109464. [PMID: 34348142 PMCID: PMC8378409 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109464] [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: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Microexons (≤27 nt) play critical roles in nervous system development and function but create unique challenges for the splicing machinery. The mechanisms of microexon regulation are therefore of great interest. We performed a genetic screen for alternative splicing regulators in the C. elegans nervous system and identify PRP-40, a core component of the U1 snRNP. RNA-seq reveals that PRP-40 is required for inclusion of alternatively spliced, but not constitutively spliced, exons. PRP-40 is particularly required for inclusion of neuronal microexons, and our data indicate that PRP-40 is a central regulator of microexon splicing. Microexons can be relieved from PRP-40 dependence by artificially increasing exon size or reducing flanking intron size, indicating that PRP-40 is specifically required for microexons surrounded by conventionally sized introns. Knockdown of the orthologous PRPF40A in mouse neuroblastoma cells causes widespread dysregulation of microexons but not conventionally sized exons. PRP-40 regulation of neuronal microexons is therefore a widely conserved phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash Choudhary
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Olivia Marx
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Adam D Norris
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA.
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6
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Brachet A, Lario A, Fernández-Rodrigo A, Heisler FF, Gutiérrez Y, Lobo C, Kneussel M, Esteban JA. A kinesin 1-protrudin complex mediates AMPA receptor synaptic removal during long-term depression. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109499. [PMID: 34348158 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The synaptic removal of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) is a core mechanism for hippocampal long-term depression (LTD). In this study, we address the role of microtubule-dependent transport of AMPARs as a driver for vesicular trafficking and sorting during LTD. Here, we show that the kinesin-1 motor KIF5A/C is strictly required for LTD expression in CA3-to-CA1 hippocampal synapses. Specifically, we find that KIF5 is required for an efficient internalization of AMPARs after NMDA receptor activation. We show that the KIF5/AMPAR complex is assembled in an activity-dependent manner and associates with microsomal membranes upon LTD induction. This interaction is facilitated by the vesicular adaptor protrudin, which is also required for LTD expression. We propose that protrudin links KIF5-dependent transport to endosomal sorting, preventing AMPAR recycling to synapses after LTD induction. Therefore, this work identifies an activity-dependent molecular motor and the vesicular adaptor protein that executes AMPAR synaptic removal during LTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brachet
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Argentina Lario
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Fernández-Rodrigo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Frank F Heisler
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yolanda Gutiérrez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Lobo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthias Kneussel
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), D-20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - José A Esteban
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Pang TL, Ding Z, Liang SB, Li L, Zhang B, Zhang Y, Fan YJ, Xu YZ. Comprehensive Identification and Alternative Splicing of Microexons in Drosophila. Front Genet 2021; 12:642602. [PMID: 33859668 PMCID: PMC8042270 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.642602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Interrupted exons in the pre-mRNA transcripts are ligated together through RNA splicing, which plays a critical role in the regulation of gene expression. Exons with a length ≤ 30 nt are defined as microexons that are unique in identification. However, microexons, especially those shorter than 8 nt, have not been well studied in many organisms due to difficulties in mapping short segments from sequencing reads. Here, we analyzed mRNA-seq data from a variety of Drosophila samples with a newly developed bioinformatic tool, ce-TopHat. In addition to the Flybase annotated, 465 new microexons were identified. Differentially alternatively spliced (AS) microexons were investigated between the Drosophila tissues (head, body, and gonad) and genders. Most of the AS microexons were found in the head and two AS microexons were identified in the sex-determination pathway gene fruitless.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Lin Pang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhan Ding
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shao-Bo Liang
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Insect Developmental and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Jie Fan
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong-Zhen Xu
- RNA Institute, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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8
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Parada GE, Munita R, Georgakopoulos-Soares I, Fernandes HJR, Kedlian VR, Metzakopian E, Andres ME, Miska EA, Hemberg M. MicroExonator enables systematic discovery and quantification of microexons across mouse embryonic development. Genome Biol 2021; 22:43. [PMID: 33482885 PMCID: PMC7821500 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02246-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microexons, exons that are ≤ 30 nucleotides, are a highly conserved and dynamically regulated set of cassette exons. They have key roles in nervous system development and function, as evidenced by recent results demonstrating the impact of microexons on behaviour and cognition. However, microexons are often overlooked due to the difficulty of detecting them using standard RNA-seq aligners. RESULTS Here, we present MicroExonator, a novel pipeline for reproducible de novo discovery and quantification of microexons. We process 289 RNA-seq datasets from eighteen mouse tissues corresponding to nine embryonic and postnatal stages, providing the most comprehensive survey of microexons available for mice. We detect 2984 microexons, 332 of which are differentially spliced throughout mouse embryonic brain development, including 29 that are not present in mouse transcript annotation databases. Unsupervised clustering of microexons based on their inclusion patterns segregates brain tissues by developmental time, and further analysis suggests a key function for microexons in axon growth and synapse formation. Finally, we analyse single-cell RNA-seq data from the mouse visual cortex, and for the first time, we report differential inclusion between neuronal subpopulations, suggesting that some microexons could be cell type-specific. CONCLUSIONS MicroExonator facilitates the investigation of microexons in transcriptome studies, particularly when analysing large volumes of data. As a proof of principle, we use MicroExonator to analyse a large collection of both mouse bulk and single-cell RNA-seq datasets. The analyses enabled the discovery of previously uncharacterized microexons, and our study provides a comprehensive microexon inclusion catalogue during mouse development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo E Parada
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Roberto Munita
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ilias Georgakopoulos-Soares
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Hugo J R Fernandes
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Veronika R Kedlian
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Emmanouil Metzakopian
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Maria Estela Andres
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eric A Miska
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK.
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
- Wellcome Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK.
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9
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Shirane M. Lipid Transfer-Dependent Endosome Maturation Mediated by Protrudin and PDZD8 in Neurons. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:615600. [PMID: 33385000 PMCID: PMC7769939 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.615600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Endosome maturation refers to the conversion of early endosomes (EEs) to late endosomes (LEs) for subsequent fusion with lysosomes. It is an incremental process that involves a combination of endosome fusion and fission and which occurs at contact sites between endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), with knowledge of the underlying mechanisms having increased greatly in recent years. Protrudin is an ER-resident protein that was originally shown to regulate neurite formation by promoting endosome trafficking, whereas PDZD8 is a mammalian paralog of a subunit of the yeast ERMES (ER-mitochondrial encounter structure) complex that possesses lipid transfer activity. A complex of protrudin and PDZD8 was recently found to promote endosome maturation by mediating lipid transfer at ER-endosome membrane contact sites. This review focuses on the roles of the protrudin-PDZD8 complex in tethering of endosomes to the ER, in mediating lipid transfer at such contact sites, and in regulating endosome dynamics, especially in neuronal cells. It also addresses the physiological contribution of endosome maturation mediated by this complex to neuronal polarity and integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Shirane
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
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10
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Shirane M, Shoji H, Hashimoto Y, Katagiri H, Kobayashi S, Manabe T, Miyakawa T, Nakayama KI. Protrudin-deficient mice manifest depression-like behavior with abnormalities in activity, attention, and cued fear-conditioning. Mol Brain 2020; 13:146. [PMID: 33172474 PMCID: PMC7654181 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00693-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Protrudin is a protein that resides in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum and is highly expressed in the nervous system. Although mutations in the human protrudin gene (ZFYVE27, also known as SPG33) give rise to hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), the physiological role of the encoded protein has been largely unclear. We therefore generated mice deficient in protrudin and subjected them to a battery of behavioral tests designed to examine their intermediate phenotypes. The protrudin-deficient mice were found to have a reduced body size and to manifest pleiotropic behavioral abnormalities, including hyperactivity, depression-like behavior, and deficits in attention and fear-conditioning memory. They exhibited no signs of HSP, however, consistent with the notion that HSP-associated mutations of protrudin may elicit neural degeneration, not as a result of a loss of function, but rather as a result of a gain of toxic function. Overall, our results suggest that protrudin might play an indispensable role in normal neuronal development and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Shirane
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
| | - Hirotaka Shoji
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yutaka Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Katagiri
- Division of Neuronal Network, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shizuka Kobayashi
- Division of Neuronal Network, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiya Manabe
- Division of Neuronal Network, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan.
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11
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Protrudin and PDZD8 contribute to neuronal integrity by promoting lipid extraction required for endosome maturation. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4576. [PMID: 32917905 PMCID: PMC7486383 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18413-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Endosome maturation depends on membrane contact sites (MCSs) formed between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and endolysosomes (LyLEs). The mechanism underlying lipid supply for this process and its pathophysiological relevance remains unclear, however. Here, we identify PDZD8-the mammalian ortholog of a yeast ERMES subunit-as a protein that interacts with protrudin, which is located at ER-LyLE MCSs. Protrudin and PDZD8 promote the formation of ER-LyLE MCSs, and PDZD8 shows the ability to extract various lipids from the ER. Overexpression of both protrudin and PDZD8 in HeLa cells, as well as their depletion in mouse primary neurons, impairs endosomal homeostasis by inducing the formation of abnormal large vacuoles reminiscent of those apparent in spastin- or REEP1-deficient neurons. The protrudin-PDZD8 system is also essential for the establishment of neuronal polarity. Our results suggest that protrudin and PDZD8 cooperatively promote endosome maturation by mediating ER-LyLE tethering and lipid extraction at MCSs, thereby maintaining neuronal polarity and integrity.
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12
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Microexons: at the nexus of nervous system development, behaviour and autism spectrum disorder. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2020; 65:22-33. [PMID: 32535349 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and characterization of a network of highly conserved neuronal microexons has provided fundamental new insight into mechanisms underlying nervous system development and function, as well as an important basis for pathway convergence in autism spectrum disorder. In the past few years, considerable progress has been made in comprehensively determining the repertoires of factors that control neuronal microexons. These results have illuminated molecular mechanisms that activate the splicing of microexons, including those that control gene expression programs critical for neurogenesis, as well as synaptic protein translation and neuronal activity. Remarkably, individual disruption of specific microexons in these pathways results in autism-like phenotypes and cognitive impairment in mice. This review discusses these findings and their implications for delivering new therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders.
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13
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Gonatopoulos-Pournatzis T, Niibori R, Salter EW, Weatheritt RJ, Tsang B, Farhangmehr S, Liang X, Braunschweig U, Roth J, Zhang S, Henderson T, Sharma E, Quesnel-Vallières M, Permanyer J, Maier S, Georgiou J, Irimia M, Sonenberg N, Forman-Kay JD, Gingras AC, Collingridge GL, Woodin MA, Cordes SP, Blencowe BJ. Autism-Misregulated eIF4G Microexons Control Synaptic Translation and Higher Order Cognitive Functions. Mol Cell 2020; 77:1176-1192.e16. [PMID: 31999954 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microexons represent the most highly conserved class of alternative splicing, yet their functions are poorly understood. Here, we focus on closely related neuronal microexons overlapping prion-like domains in the translation initiation factors, eIF4G1 and eIF4G3, the splicing of which is activity dependent and frequently disrupted in autism. CRISPR-Cas9 deletion of these microexons selectively upregulates synaptic proteins that control neuronal activity and plasticity and further triggers a gene expression program mirroring that of activated neurons. Mice lacking the Eif4g1 microexon display social behavior, learning, and memory deficits, accompanied by altered hippocampal synaptic plasticity. We provide evidence that the eIF4G microexons function as a translational brake by causing ribosome stalling, through their propensity to promote the coalescence of cytoplasmic granule components associated with translation repression, including the fragile X mental retardation protein FMRP. The results thus reveal an autism-disrupted mechanism by which alternative splicing specializes neuronal translation to control higher order cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rieko Niibori
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Eric W Salter
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Robert J Weatheritt
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; EMBL Australia, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Brian Tsang
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shaghayegh Farhangmehr
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Xinyi Liang
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan Roth
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shen Zhang
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Tyler Henderson
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Eesha Sharma
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Mathieu Quesnel-Vallières
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jon Permanyer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Stefan Maier
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - John Georgiou
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08002, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Goodman Cancer Research Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A3, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Julie D Forman-Kay
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Graham L Collingridge
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Melanie A Woodin
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Sabine P Cordes
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Benjamin J Blencowe
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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14
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SHIRANE M. Roles of protrudin at interorganelle membrane contact sites. PROCEEDINGS OF THE JAPAN ACADEMY. SERIES B, PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2019; 95:312-320. [PMID: 31406056 PMCID: PMC6766452 DOI: 10.2183/pjab.95.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular organelles were long viewed as isolated compartments floating in the cytosol. However, this view has been radically changed within the last decade by the discovery that most organelles communicate with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) network via membrane contact sites (MCSs) that are essential for intracellular homeostasis. Protrudin is an ER resident protein that was originally shown to regulate neurite formation by promoting endosome trafficking. More recently, however, protrudin has been found to serve as a tethering factor at MCSs. The roles performed by protrudin at MCSs are mediated by its various domains, including inactivation of the small GTPase Rab11, bending of the ER membrane, and functional interactions with other molecules such as the motor protein KIF5 and the ER protein VAP. Mutations in the protrudin gene (ZFYVE27) are associated with hereditary spastic paraplegia, an axonopathy that results from defective ER structure. This review, examines the pleiotropic molecular functions of protrudin and its role in interorganellar communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko SHIRANE
- Department of Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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15
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Neuronal activity-regulated alternative mRNA splicing. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 91:184-193. [PMID: 28591617 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Activity-regulated gene transcription underlies plasticity-dependent changes in the molecular composition and structure of neurons. Numerous genes whose expression is induced by different neuronal plasticity inducing pathways have been identified, but the alteration of gene expression levels represents only part of the complexity of the activity-regulated transcriptional program. Alternative splicing of precursor mRNA is an additional mechanism that modulates the activity-dependent transcriptional signature. Recently developed splicing sensitive transcriptome wide analyses improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and demonstrate to what extend the activity regulated transcriptome is alternatively spliced. So far, only for a small group of differentially spliced mRNAs of synaptic proteins, the functional implications have been studied in detail. These include examples in which differential exon usage can result in the expression of alternative proteins which interfere with or alter the function of preexisting proteins and cause a dominant negative functional block of constitutively expressed variants. Such altered proteins contribute to the structural and functional reorganization of pre- and postsynaptic terminals and to the maintenance and formation of synapses. In addition, activity-induced alternative splicing can affect the untranslated regions (UTRs) and generates mRNAs harboring different cis-regulatory elements. Such differential UTRs can influence mRNA stability, translation, and can change the targeting of mRNAs to subcellular compartments. Here, we summarize different categories of alternative splicing which are thought to contribute to synaptic remodeling, give an overview of activity-regulated alternatively spliced mRNAs of synaptic proteins that impact synaptic functions, and discuss splicing factors and epigenetic modifications as regulatory determinants.
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16
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Zhou LT, Ye SH, Yang HX, Zhou YT, Zhao QH, Sun WW, Gao MM, Yi YH, Long YS. A novel role of fragile X mental retardation protein in pre-mRNA alternative splicing through RNA-binding protein 14. Neuroscience 2017; 349:64-75. [PMID: 28257890 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an important RNA-binding protein responsible for fragile X syndrome, is involved in posttranscriptional control of gene expression that links with brain development and synaptic functions. Here, we reveal a novel role of FMRP in pre-mRNA alternative splicing, a general event of posttranscriptional regulation. Using co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays, we identified that FMRP interacts with an alternative-splicing-associated protein RNA-binding protein 14 (RBM14) in a RNA-dependent fashion, and the two proteins partially colocalize in the nuclei of hippocampal neurons. We show that the relative skipping/inclusion ratio of the micro-exon L in the Protrudin gene and exon 10 in the Tau gene decreased in the hippocampus of Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice. Knockdown of either FMRP or RBM14 alters the relative skipping/inclusion ratio of Protrudin and Tau in cultured Neuro-2a cells, similar to that in the Fmr1 KO mice. Furthermore, overexpression of FMRP leads to an opposite pattern of the splicing, which can be offset by RBM14 knockdown. RNA immunoprecipitation assays indicate that FMRP promotes RBM14's binding to the mRNA targets. In addition, overexpression of the long form of Protrudin or the short form of Tau promotes protrusion growth of the retinoic acid-treated, neuronal-differentiated Neuro-2a cells. Together, these data suggest a novel function of FMRP in the regulation of pre-mRNA alternative splicing through RBM14 that may be associated with normal brain function and FMRP-related neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Tao Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Shun-Hua Ye
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Hai-Xuan Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yong-Ting Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Qi-Hua Zhao
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Wei-Wen Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Mei-Mei Gao
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yong-Hong Yi
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China; Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, China.
| | - Yue-Sheng Long
- Institute of Neuroscience and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou 510260, China.
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17
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Ustianenko D, Weyn-Vanhentenryck SM, Zhang C. Microexons: discovery, regulation, and function. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2017; 8. [PMID: 28188674 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The importance of RNA splicing in numerous cellular processes is well established. However, an underappreciated aspect is the ability of the spliceosome to recognize a set of very small (3-30 nucleotide, 1-10 amino acid) exons named microexons. Despite their small size, microexons and their regulation through alternative splicing have now been shown to play critical roles in protein and system function. Here we review the discovery of microexons over time and the mechanisms by which their splicing is regulated, including recent progress made through deep RNA sequencing. We also discuss the functional role of microexons in biology and disease. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1418. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1418 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmytro Ustianenko
- Department of Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sebastien M Weyn-Vanhentenryck
- Department of Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chaolin Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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18
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Ohnishi T, Shirane M, Nakayama KI. SRRM4-dependent neuron-specific alternative splicing of protrudin transcripts regulates neurite outgrowth. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41130. [PMID: 28106138 PMCID: PMC5247714 DOI: 10.1038/srep41130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing gives rise to diversity of the proteome, and it is especially prevalent in the mammalian nervous system. Indeed, many factors that control the splicing process govern nervous system development. Among such factors, SRRM4 is an important regulator of aspects of neural differentiation including neurite outgrowth. The mechanism by which SRRM4 regulates neurite outgrowth has remained poorly understood, however. We now show that SRRM4 regulates the splicing of protrudin gene (Zfyve27) transcripts in neuronal cells. SRRM4 was found to promote splicing of protrudin pre-mRNA so as to include a microexon (exon L) encoding seven amino acids in a neuron-specific manner. The resulting protein (protrudin-L) promotes neurite outgrowth during neurogenesis. Depletion of SRRM4 in Neuro2A cells impaired inclusion of exon L in protrudin mRNA, resulting in the generation of a shorter protein isoform (protrudin-S) that is less effective at promoting neurite extension. SRRM4 was found to recognize a UGC motif that is located immediately upstream of exon L and is necessary for inclusion of exon L in the mature transcript. Deletion of exon L in Neuro2A or embryonic stem cells inhibited neurite outgrowth. Our results suggest that SRRM4 controls neurite outgrowth through regulation of alternative splicing of protrudin transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takafumi Ohnishi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Michiko Shirane
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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19
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Haase G, Rabouille C. Golgi Fragmentation in ALS Motor Neurons. New Mechanisms Targeting Microtubules, Tethers, and Transport Vesicles. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:448. [PMID: 26696811 PMCID: PMC4672084 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological alterations of the Golgi apparatus, such as its fragmentation represent an early pre-clinical feature of many neurodegenerative diseases and have been widely studied in the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained cryptic. In principle, Golgi fragmentation may result from defects in three major classes of proteins: structural Golgi proteins, cytoskeletal proteins and molecular motors, as well as proteins mediating transport to and through the Golgi. Here, we present the different mechanisms that may underlie Golgi fragmentation in animal and cellular models of ALS linked to mutations in SOD1, TARDBP (TDP-43), VAPB, and C9Orf72 and we propose a novel one based on findings in progressive motor neuronopathy (pmn) mice. These mice are mutated in the TBCE gene encoding the cis-Golgi localized tubulin-binding cofactor E, one of five chaperones that assist in tubulin folding and microtubule polymerization. Loss of TBCE leads to alterations in Golgi microtubules, which in turn impedes on the maintenance of the Golgi architecture. This is due to down-regulation of COPI coat components, dispersion of Golgi tethers and strong accumulation of ER-Golgi SNAREs. These effects are partially rescued by the GTPase ARF1 through recruitment of TBCE to the Golgi. We hypothesize that defects in COPI vesicles, microtubules and their interaction may also underlie Golgi fragmentation in human ALS linked to other mutations, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and related motor neuron diseases. We also discuss the functional relevance of pathological Golgi alterations, in particular their potential causative, contributory, or compensatory role in the degeneration of motor neuron cell bodies, axons and synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Haase
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Aix-Marseille Université UMR 7289, Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone Marseille, France
| | - Catherine Rabouille
- The Department of Cell Biology, Hubrecht Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht Utrecht, Netherlands
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20
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Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Insights from a Cultured Cell Model of ALS. Cells 2015; 4:354-86. [PMID: 26287246 PMCID: PMC4588041 DOI: 10.3390/cells4030354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy plays a major role in the elimination of cellular waste components, the renewal of intracellular proteins and the prevention of the build-up of redundant or defective material. It is fundamental for the maintenance of homeostasis and especially important in post-mitotic neuronal cells, which, without competent autophagy, accumulate protein aggregates and degenerate. Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with defective autophagy; however, whether altered protein turnover or accumulation of misfolded, aggregate-prone proteins is the primary insult in neurodegeneration has long been a matter of debate. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons. Most of the ALS cases occur in sporadic forms (SALS), while 10%–15% of the cases have a positive familial history (FALS). The accumulation in the cell of misfolded/abnormal proteins is a hallmark of both SALS and FALS, and altered protein degradation due to autophagy dysregulation has been proposed to contribute to ALS pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on the main molecular features of autophagy to provide a framework for discussion of our recent findings about the role in disease pathogenesis of the ALS-linked form of the VAPB gene product, a mutant protein that drives the generation of unusual cytoplasmic inclusions.
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21
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Raj B, Blencowe B. Alternative Splicing in the Mammalian Nervous System: Recent Insights into Mechanisms and Functional Roles. Neuron 2015; 87:14-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 299] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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22
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Quesnel-Vallières M, Irimia M, Cordes SP, Blencowe BJ. Essential roles for the splicing regulator nSR100/SRRM4 during nervous system development. Genes Dev 2015; 29:746-59. [PMID: 25838543 PMCID: PMC4387716 DOI: 10.1101/gad.256115.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Quesnel-Vallières et al. show that loss of the vertebrate- and neural-specific Ser/Arg repeat-related protein of 100 kDa (nSR100/SRRM4) impairs development of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Accompanying these developmental defects are widespread changes in alternative splicing (AS) that primarily result in shifts to nonneural patterns for different classes of splicing events. The main component of the altered AS program comprises 3- to 27-nt neural microexons, and inclusion of a 6-nt nSR100-activated microexon in Unc13b transcripts is sufficient to rescue a neuritogenesis defect in nSR100 mutant primary neurons. Alternative splicing (AS) generates vast transcriptomic complexity in the vertebrate nervous system. However, the extent to which trans-acting splicing regulators and their target AS regulatory networks contribute to nervous system development is not well understood. To address these questions, we generated mice lacking the vertebrate- and neural-specific Ser/Arg repeat-related protein of 100 kDa (nSR100/SRRM4). Loss of nSR100 impairs development of the central and peripheral nervous systems in part by disrupting neurite outgrowth, cortical layering in the forebrain, and axon guidance in the corpus callosum. Accompanying these developmental defects are widespread changes in AS that primarily result in shifts to nonneural patterns for different classes of splicing events. The main component of the altered AS program comprises 3- to 27-nucleotide (nt) neural microexons, an emerging class of highly conserved AS events associated with the regulation of protein interaction networks in developing neurons and neurological disorders. Remarkably, inclusion of a 6-nt, nSR100-activated microexon in Unc13b transcripts is sufficient to rescue a neuritogenesis defect in nSR100 mutant primary neurons. These results thus reveal critical in vivo neurodevelopmental functions of nSR100 and further link these functions to a conserved program of neuronal microexon splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Quesnel-Vallières
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Manuel Irimia
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Sabine P Cordes
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Benjamin J Blencowe
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada;
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23
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Irimia M, Weatheritt RJ, Ellis JD, Parikshak NN, Gonatopoulos-Pournatzis T, Babor M, Quesnel-Vallières M, Tapial J, Raj B, O'Hanlon D, Barrios-Rodiles M, Sternberg MJE, Cordes SP, Roth FP, Wrana JL, Geschwind DH, Blencowe BJ. A highly conserved program of neuronal microexons is misregulated in autistic brains. Cell 2015; 159:1511-23. [PMID: 25525873 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 415] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) generates vast transcriptomic and proteomic complexity. However, which of the myriad of detected AS events provide important biological functions is not well understood. Here, we define the largest program of functionally coordinated, neural-regulated AS described to date in mammals. Relative to all other types of AS within this program, 3-15 nucleotide "microexons" display the most striking evolutionary conservation and switch-like regulation. These microexons modulate the function of interaction domains of proteins involved in neurogenesis. Most neural microexons are regulated by the neuronal-specific splicing factor nSR100/SRRM4, through its binding to adjacent intronic enhancer motifs. Neural microexons are frequently misregulated in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and this misregulation is associated with reduced levels of nSR100. The results thus reveal a highly conserved program of dynamic microexon regulation associated with the remodeling of protein-interaction networks during neurogenesis, the misregulation of which is linked to autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Irimia
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), 88 Dr. Aiguader, Barcelona 08003, Spain.
| | - Robert J Weatheritt
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Jonathan D Ellis
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Neelroop N Parikshak
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 695 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | | | - Mariana Babor
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | - Javier Tapial
- EMBL/CRG Research Unit in Systems Biology, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), 88 Dr. Aiguader, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Bushra Raj
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Dave O'Hanlon
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Miriam Barrios-Rodiles
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Michael J E Sternberg
- Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sabine P Cordes
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Frederick P Roth
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, Canada; Canadian Institute For Advanced Research, 180 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8, Canada
| | - Jeffrey L Wrana
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 695 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Benjamin J Blencowe
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Scheckel
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert B Darnell
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Genevini P, Papiani G, Ruggiano A, Cantoni L, Navone F, Borgese N. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutant VAPB inclusions do not interfere with protein degradation pathways or intracellular transport in a cultured cell model. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113416. [PMID: 25409455 PMCID: PMC4237408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
VAPB is a ubiquitously expressed, ER-resident adaptor protein involved in interorganellar lipid exchange, membrane contact site formation, and membrane trafficking. Its mutant form, P56S-VAPB, which has been linked to a dominantly inherited form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS8), generates intracellular inclusions consisting in restructured ER domains whose role in ALS pathogenesis has not been elucidated. P56S-VAPB is less stable than the wild-type protein and, at variance with most pathological aggregates, its inclusions are cleared by the proteasome. Based on studies with cultured cells overexpressing the mutant protein, it has been suggested that VAPB inclusions may exert a pathogenic effect either by sequestering the wild-type protein and other interactors (loss-of-function by a dominant negative effect) or by a more general proteotoxic action (gain-of-function). To investigate P56S-VAPB degradation and the effect of the inclusions on proteostasis and on ER-to-plasma membrane protein transport in a more physiological setting, we used stable HeLa and NSC34 Tet-Off cell lines inducibly expressing moderate levels of P56S-VAPB. Under basal conditions, P56S-VAPB degradation was mediated exclusively by the proteasome in both cell lines, however, it could be targeted also by starvation-stimulated autophagy. To assess possible proteasome impairment, the HeLa cell line was transiently transfected with the ERAD (ER Associated Degradation) substrate CD3δ, while autophagic flow was investigated in cells either starved or treated with an autophagy-stimulating drug. Secretory pathway functionality was evaluated by analyzing the transport of transfected Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Glycoprotein (VSVG). P56S-VAPB expression had no effect either on the degradation of CD3δ or on the levels of autophagic markers, or on the rate of transport of VSVG to the cell surface. We conclude that P56S-VAPB inclusions expressed at moderate levels do not interfere with protein degradation pathways or protein transport, suggesting that the dominant inheritance of the mutant gene may be due mainly to haploinsufficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Genevini
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Papiani
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Annamaria Ruggiano
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Lavinia Cantoni
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Navone
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- * E-mail: (FN); (NB)
| | - Nica Borgese
- Institute of Neuroscience, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, and Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
- Department of Health Science, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- * E-mail: (FN); (NB)
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