1
|
Harris N, Bates SG, Zhuang Z, Bernstein M, Stonemetz JM, Hill TJ, Yu YV, Calarco JA, Sengupta P. Molecular encoding of stimulus features in a single sensory neuron type enables neuronal and behavioral plasticity. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1487-1501.e7. [PMID: 36977417 PMCID: PMC10133190 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Neurons modify their transcriptomes in response to an animal's experience. How specific experiences are transduced to modulate gene expression and precisely tune neuronal functions are not fully defined. Here, we describe the molecular profile of a thermosensory neuron pair in C. elegans experiencing different temperature stimuli. We find that distinct salient features of the temperature stimulus, including its duration, magnitude of change, and absolute value, are encoded in the gene expression program in this single neuron type, and we identify a novel transmembrane protein and a transcription factor whose specific transcriptional dynamics are essential to drive neuronal, behavioral, and developmental plasticity. Expression changes are driven by broadly expressed activity-dependent transcription factors and corresponding cis-regulatory elements that nevertheless direct neuron- and stimulus-specific gene expression programs. Our results indicate that coupling of defined stimulus characteristics to the gene regulatory logic in individual specialized neuron types can customize neuronal properties to drive precise behavioral adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Harris
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
| | - Samuel G Bates
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Zihao Zhuang
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Matthew Bernstein
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Jamie M Stonemetz
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Tyler J Hill
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
| | - Yanxun V Yu
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei Province, China
| | - John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord St., Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, MS008, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Harris N, Bates S, Zhuang Z, Bernstein M, Stonemetz J, Hill T, Yu YV, Calarco JA, Sengupta P. Molecular encoding of stimulus features in a single sensory neuron type enables neuronal and behavioral plasticity. bioRxiv 2023:2023.01.22.525070. [PMID: 36711719 PMCID: PMC9882311 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.22.525070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurons modify their transcriptomes in response to an animal’s experience. How specific experiences are transduced to modulate gene expression and precisely tune neuronal functions are not fully defined. Here, we describe the molecular profile of a thermosensory neuron pair in C. elegans experiencing different temperature stimuli. We find that distinct salient features of the temperature stimulus including its duration, magnitude of change, and absolute value are encoded in the gene expression program in this single neuron, and identify a novel transmembrane protein and a transcription factor whose specific transcriptional dynamics are essential to drive neuronal, behavioral, and developmental plasticity. Expression changes are driven by broadly expressed activity-dependent transcription factors and corresponding cis -regulatory elements that nevertheless direct neuron- and stimulus-specific gene expression programs. Our results indicate that coupling of defined stimulus characteristics to the gene regulatory logic in individual specialized neuron types can customize neuronal properties to drive precise behavioral adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Harris
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA,Co-corresponding authors: ;
| | - Samuel Bates
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Zihao Zhuang
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA,Current address: Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Jamie Stonemetz
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Tyler Hill
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Yanxun V. Yu
- Department of Neurology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - John A. Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Piali Sengupta
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA,Co-corresponding authors: ;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu H, Wu T, Canales XG, Wu M, Choi MK, Duan F, Calarco JA, Zhang Y. Forgetting generates a novel state that is reactivatable. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabi9071. [PMID: 35148188 PMCID: PMC8836790 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi9071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Forgetting is defined as a time-dependent decline of a memory. However, it is not clear whether forgetting reverses the learning process to return the brain to the naive state. Here, using the aversive olfactory learning of pathogenic bacteria in C. elegans, we show that forgetting generates a novel state of the nervous system that is distinct from the naive state or the learned state. A transient exposure to the training condition or training odorants reactivates this novel state to elicit the previously learned behavior. An AMPA receptor and a type II serotonin receptor act in the central neuron of the learning circuit to decrease and increase the speed to reach this novel state, respectively. Together, our study systematically characterizes forgetting and uncovers conserved mechanisms underlying the rate of forgetting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- He Liu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Taihong Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Xicotencatl Gracida Canales
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Myung-Kyu Choi
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Fengyun Duan
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John A. Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abstract
The clustered, regularly interspaced, short, palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated (CAS) nuclease Cas9 has been used in many organisms to generate specific mutations and transgene insertions. Here we describe our most up-to-date protocols using the S. pyogenes Cas9 in C. elegans that provides a convenient and effective approach for making heritable changes to the worm genome. We present several considerations when deciding which strategy best suits the needs of the experiment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte J Martin
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Calarco JA, Pilaka-Akella PP. Two-Color Fluorescent Reporters for Analysis of Alternative Splicing. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2537:211-229. [PMID: 35895267 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2521-7_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a key layer of gene regulation that is frequently modulated in a spatiotemporal manner. As such, it is a major goal to understand the mechanisms controlling alternative splicing in specific cellular contexts. Reporters that recapitulate alternative splicing patterns of endogenous transcripts have served as excellent tools for dissecting regulatory mechanisms of splicing. In this chapter, we describe a two-color fluorescent reporter system that enables the visualization of alternative splicing patterns by microscopy at single-cell resolution in live animals. We present this reporter system in the context of the model nematode C. elegans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Koterniak B, Pilaka PP, Gracida X, Schneider LM, Pritišanac I, Zhang Y, Calarco JA. Global regulatory features of alternative splicing across tissues and within the nervous system of C. elegans. Genome Res 2020; 30:1766-1780. [PMID: 33127752 PMCID: PMC7706725 DOI: 10.1101/gr.267328.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing plays a major role in shaping tissue-specific transcriptomes. Among the broad tissue types present in metazoans, the central nervous system contains some of the highest levels of alternative splicing. Although many documented examples of splicing differences between broad tissue types exist, there remains much to be understood about the splicing factors and the cis sequence elements controlling tissue and neuron subtype-specific splicing patterns. By using translating ribosome affinity purification coupled with deep-sequencing (TRAP-seq) in Caenorhabditis elegans, we have obtained high coverage profiles of ribosome-associated mRNA for three broad tissue classes (nervous system, muscle, and intestine) and two neuronal subtypes (dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons). We have identified hundreds of splice junctions that exhibit distinct splicing patterns between tissue types or within the nervous system. Alternative splicing events differentially regulated between tissues are more often frame-preserving, are more highly conserved across Caenorhabditis species, and are enriched in specific cis regulatory motifs, when compared with other types of exons. By using this information, we have identified a likely mechanism of splicing repression by the RNA-binding protein UNC-75/CELF via interactions with cis elements that overlap a 5′ splice site. Alternatively spliced exons also overlap more frequently with intrinsically disordered peptide regions than constitutive exons. Moreover, regulated exons are often shorter than constitutive exons but are flanked by longer intron sequences. Among these tissue-regulated exons are several highly conserved microexons <27 nt in length. Collectively, our results indicate a rich layer of tissue-specific gene regulation at the level of alternative splicing in C. elegans that parallels the evolutionary forces and constraints observed across metazoa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bina Koterniak
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Pallavi P Pilaka
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Xicotencatl Gracida
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Lisa-Marie Schneider
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.,Department of Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Iva Pritišanac
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada.,Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G5, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Suzuki H, Kumar SA, Shuai S, Diaz-Navarro A, Gutierrez-Fernandez A, De Antonellis P, Cavalli FMG, Juraschka K, Farooq H, Shibahara I, Vladoiu MC, Zhang J, Abeysundara N, Przelicki D, Skowron P, Gauer N, Luu B, Daniels C, Wu X, Forget A, Momin A, Wang J, Dong W, Kim SK, Grajkowska WA, Jouvet A, Fèvre-Montange M, Garrè ML, Nageswara Rao AA, Giannini C, Kros JM, French PJ, Jabado N, Ng HK, Poon WS, Eberhart CG, Pollack IF, Olson JM, Weiss WA, Kumabe T, López-Aguilar E, Lach B, Massimino M, Van Meir EG, Rubin JB, Vibhakar R, Chambless LB, Kijima N, Klekner A, Bognár L, Chan JA, Faria CC, Ragoussis J, Pfister SM, Goldenberg A, Wechsler-Reya RJ, Bailey SD, Garzia L, Morrissy AS, Marra MA, Huang X, Malkin D, Ayrault O, Ramaswamy V, Puente XS, Calarco JA, Stein L, Taylor MD. Recurrent noncoding U1 snRNA mutations drive cryptic splicing in SHH medulloblastoma. Nature 2019; 574:707-711. [PMID: 31664194 PMCID: PMC7141958 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1650-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Recurrent somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in cancer are largely confined to protein coding genes, and are rare in most pediatric cancers1–3. We report highly recurrent hotspot mutations of U1 spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) in ~50% of Sonic Hedgehog medulloblastomas (Shh-MB), which were not present across other medulloblastoma subgroups. This U1-snRNA hotspot mutation (r.3a>g), was identified in <0.1% of 2,442 cancers across 36 other tumor types. Largely absent from infant Shh-MB, the mutation occurs in 97% of adults (Shhδ), and 25% of adolescents (Shhα). The U1-snRNA mutation occurs in the 5′ splice site binding region, and snRNA mutant tumors have significantly disrupted RNA splicing with an excess of 5′ cryptic splicing events. Mutant U1-snRNA mediated alternative splicing inactivates tumor suppressor genes (PTCH1), and activates oncogenes (GLI2, CCND2), represents a novel target for therapy, and constitutes a highly recurrent and tissue-specific mutation of a non-protein coding gene in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiromichi Suzuki
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sachin A Kumar
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shimin Shuai
- Informatics and Biocomputing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ander Diaz-Navarro
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Oncología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Gutierrez-Fernandez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Oncología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pasqualino De Antonellis
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Florence M G Cavalli
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle Juraschka
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hamza Farooq
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ichiyo Shibahara
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria C Vladoiu
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jiao Zhang
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Namal Abeysundara
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Przelicki
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patryk Skowron
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole Gauer
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Betty Luu
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Craig Daniels
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaochong Wu
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antoine Forget
- CNRS UMR, INSERM, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Orsay, France.,CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Ali Momin
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jun Wang
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Weifan Dong
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Seung-Ki Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Seoul National University Children's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Anne Jouvet
- Centre de Pathologie EST, Groupement Hospitalier EST, Université de Lyon, Bron, France
| | - Michelle Fèvre-Montange
- CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | | | - Caterina Giannini
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Johan M Kros
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pim J French
- Department of Neurology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nada Jabado
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ho-Keung Ng
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Sang Poon
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Charles G Eberhart
- Department of Pathology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Opthalmology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Oncology, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian F Pollack
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William A Weiss
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Toshihiro Kumabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Enrique López-Aguilar
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Hospital Pediatría Centro Médico Nacional Century XXI, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Boleslaw Lach
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Division of Anatomical Pathology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hamilton General Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Erwin G Van Meir
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua B Rubin
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rajeev Vibhakar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Lola B Chambless
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Noriyuki Kijima
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Almos Klekner
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Bognár
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical and Health Science Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Jennifer A Chan
- Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Claudia C Faria
- Division of Neurosurgery, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon, Portugal.,Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stefan M Pfister
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Goldenberg
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert J Wechsler-Reya
- Tumor Initiation and Maintenance Program, NCI-Designated Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Swneke D Bailey
- Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Livia Garzia
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - A Sorana Morrissy
- Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marco A Marra
- Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xi Huang
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Malkin
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olivier Ayrault
- CNRS UMR, INSERM, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Orsay, France.,CNRS UMR 3347, INSERM U1021, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Vijay Ramaswamy
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Haematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xose S Puente
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Oncología, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, Madrid, Spain
| | - John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lincoln Stein
- Informatics and Biocomputing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael D Taylor
- The Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Thompson M, Bixby R, Dalton R, Vandenburg A, Calarco JA, Norris AD. Splicing in a single neuron is coordinately controlled by RNA binding proteins and transcription factors. eLife 2019; 8:46726. [PMID: 31322498 PMCID: PMC6641836 DOI: 10.7554/elife.46726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell transcriptomes are established by transcription factors (TFs), which determine a cell's gene-expression complement. Post-transcriptional regulation of single-cell transcriptomes, and the RNA binding proteins (RBPs) responsible, are more technically challenging to determine, and combinatorial TF-RBP coordination of single-cell transcriptomes remains unexplored. We used fluorescent reporters to visualize alternative splicing in single Caenorhabditis elegans neurons, identifying complex splicing patterns in the neuronal kinase sad-1. Most neurons express both isoforms, but the ALM mechanosensory neuron expresses only the exon-included isoform, while its developmental sister cell the BDU neuron expresses only the exon-skipped isoform. A cascade of three cell-specific TFs and two RBPs are combinatorially required for sad-1 exon inclusion. Mechanistically, TFs combinatorially ensure expression of RBPs, which interact with sad-1 pre-mRNA. Thus a combinatorial TF-RBP code controls single-neuron sad-1 splicing. Additionally, we find ‘phenotypic convergence,’ previously observed for TFs, also applies to RBPs: different RBP combinations generate similar splicing outcomes in different neurons. All the cells in the human nervous system contain the same genetic information, and yet there are many kinds of neurons, each with different features and roles in the body. Proteins known as transcription factors help to establish this diversity by switching on different genes in different types of cells. A mechanism known as RNA splicing, which is regulated by RNA binding proteins, can also provide another layer of regulation. When a gene is switched on, a faithful copy of its sequence is produced in the form of an RNA molecule, which will then be ‘read’ to create a protein. However, the RNA molecules may first be processed to create templates that can differ between cell types: this means that a single gene can code for slightly different proteins, some of them specific to a given cell type. Yet, very little is known about how RNA splicing can generate more diversity in the nervous system. To investigate, Thompson et al. developed a fluorescent reporter system that helped them track how the RNA of a gene called sad-1 is spliced in individual neurons of the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. This showed that sad-1 was turned on in all neurons, but the particular spliced versions varied widely between different types of nerve cells. Additional experiments combined old school and cutting-edge genetics technics such as CRISPR/Cas9 to identify the proteins that control the splicing of sad-1 in different kinds of neurons. Despite not directly participating in RNA splicing, a number of transcription factors were shown to be involved. These molecular switches were turning on genes that code for RNA binding proteins differently between types of neurons, which in turn led sad-1 to be spliced according to neuron-specific patterns. The findings by Thompson et al. could provide some insight into how mammals can establish many types of neurons; however, a technical hurdle stands in the way of this line of research, as it is still difficult to detect splicing in single neurons in these species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Thompson
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| | - Ryan Bixby
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| | - Robert Dalton
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| | - Alexa Vandenburg
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| | - John A Calarco
- Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Adam D Norris
- Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aravinthan D T Samuel
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gracida X, Dion MF, Harris G, Zhang Y, Calarco JA. An Elongin-Cullin-SOCS Box Complex Regulates Stress-Induced Serotonergic Neuromodulation. Cell Rep 2018; 21:3089-3101. [PMID: 29241538 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulatory cells transduce environmental information into long-lasting behavioral responses. However, the mechanisms governing how neuronal cells influence behavioral plasticity are difficult to characterize. Here, we adapted the translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) approach in C. elegans to profile ribosome-associated mRNAs from three major tissues and the neuromodulatory dopaminergic and serotonergic cells. We identified elc-2, an Elongin C ortholog, specifically expressed in stress-sensing amphid neuron dual ciliated sensory ending (ADF) serotonergic sensory neurons, and we found that it plays a role in mediating a long-lasting change in serotonin-dependent feeding behavior induced by heat stress. We demonstrate that ELC-2 and the von Hippel-Lindau protein VHL-1, components of an Elongin-Cullin-SOCS box (ECS) E3 ubiquitin ligase, modulate this behavior after experiencing stress. Also, heat stress induces a transient redistribution of ELC-2, becoming more nuclearly enriched. Together, our results demonstrate dynamic regulation of an E3 ligase and a role for an ECS complex in neuromodulation and control of lasting behavioral states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xicotencatl Gracida
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Michael F Dion
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Gareth Harris
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yun Zhang
- Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G5, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
Genetic interaction screens are a powerful methodology to establish novel roles for genes and elucidate functional connections between genes. Such studies have been performed to great effect in single-cell organisms such as yeast and E. coli (Schuldiner et al., 2005; Butland et al., 2008; Costanzo et al., 2010), but similar large-scale interaction studies using targeted reverse-genetic deletions in multi-cellular organisms have not been feasible. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based method for deleting genes in C. elegans and replacing them with a heterologous fluorescent reporter (Norris et al., 2015). Recently we took advantage of that system to perform a large-scale, reverse genetic screen using null alleles in animals for the first time, focusing on RNA binding protein genes (Norris et al., 2017). This type of approach should be similarly applicable to many other gene classes in C. elegans. Here we detail the protocols involved in generating a library of double mutants and performing medium-throughput competitive fitness assays to test for genetic interactions resulting in fitness changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Adam D Norris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Norris AD, Gracida X, Calarco JA. CRISPR-mediated genetic interaction profiling identifies RNA binding proteins controlling metazoan fitness. eLife 2017; 6:e28129. [PMID: 28718764 PMCID: PMC5544425 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic interaction screens have aided our understanding of complex genetic traits, diseases, and biological pathways. However, approaches for synthetic genetic analysis with null-alleles in metazoans have not been feasible. Here, we present a CRISPR/Cas9-based Synthetic Genetic Interaction (CRISPR-SGI) approach enabling systematic double-mutant generation. Applying this technique in Caenorhabditis elegans, we comprehensively screened interactions within a set of 14 conserved RNA binding protein genes, generating all possible single and double mutants. Many double mutants displayed fitness defects, revealing synthetic interactions. For one interaction between the MBNL1/2 ortholog mbl-1 and the ELAVL ortholog exc-7, double mutants displayed a severely shortened lifespan. Both genes are required for regulating hundreds of transcripts and isoforms, and both may play a critical role in lifespan extension through insulin signaling. Thus, CRISPR-SGI reveals a rich genetic interaction landscape between RNA binding proteins in maintaining organismal health, and will serve as a paradigm applicable to other biological questions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Norris
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, United States
| | - Xicotencatl Gracida
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abstract
Organs and specific cell types execute specialized functions in multicellular organisms, in large part through customized gene expression signatures. Thus, profiling the transcriptomes of specific cell and tissue types remains an important tool for understanding how cells become specialized. Methodological approaches to detect gene expression differences have utilized samples from whole animals, dissected tissues, and more recently single cells. Despite these advances, there is still a challenge and a need in most laboratories to implement less invasive yet powerful cell-type specific transcriptome profiling methods. Here, we describe the use of the Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP) method for C. elegans to detect cell type-specific gene expression patterns at the level of translating mRNAs. In TRAP, a ribosomal protein is fused to a tag (GFP) and is expressed under cell type-specific promoters to mark genetically defined cell types in vivo. Affinity purification of lysates of animals expressing the tag enriches for ribosome-associated mRNAs of the targeted tissue. The purified mRNAs are used for making cDNA libraries subjected to high-throughput sequencing to obtain genome-wide profiles of transcripts from the targeted cell type. The ease of exposing C. elegans to diverse stimuli, coupled with available cell type specific promoters, makes TRAP a useful approach to enable the discovery of molecular components in response to external or genetic perturbations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xicotencatl Gracida
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States; Department of Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States.
| | - John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States; Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3G5, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lim M, Chitturi J, Laskova V, Meng J, Findeis D, Wiekenberg A, Mulcahy B, Luo L, Li Y, Lu Y, Hung W, Qu Y, Ho C, Holmyard D, Ji N, McWhirter RD, Samuel AD, Miller DM, Schnabel R, Calarco JA, Zhen M. Correction: Neuroendocrine modulation sustains the C. elegans forward motor state. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28271995 PMCID: PMC5342822 DOI: 10.7554/elife.26528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
|
15
|
Lim MA, Chitturi J, Laskova V, Meng J, Findeis D, Wiekenberg A, Mulcahy B, Luo L, Li Y, Lu Y, Hung W, Qu Y, Ho CY, Holmyard D, Ji N, McWhirter R, Samuel AD, Miller DM, Schnabel R, Calarco JA, Zhen M. Neuroendocrine modulation sustains the C. elegans forward motor state. eLife 2016; 5:19887. [PMID: 27855782 PMCID: PMC5120884 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulators shape neural circuit dynamics. Combining electron microscopy, genetics, transcriptome profiling, calcium imaging, and optogenetics, we discovered a peptidergic neuron that modulates C. elegans motor circuit dynamics. The Six/SO-family homeobox transcription factor UNC-39 governs lineage-specific neurogenesis to give rise to a neuron RID. RID bears the anatomic hallmarks of a specialized endocrine neuron: it harbors near-exclusive dense core vesicles that cluster periodically along the axon, and expresses multiple neuropeptides, including the FMRF-amide-related FLP-14. RID activity increases during forward movement. Ablating RID reduces the sustainability of forward movement, a phenotype partially recapitulated by removing FLP-14. Optogenetic depolarization of RID prolongs forward movement, an effect reduced in the absence of FLP-14. Together, these results establish the role of a neuroendocrine cell RID in sustaining a specific behavioral state in C. elegans. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19887.001
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Lim
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jyothsna Chitturi
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Valeriya Laskova
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jun Meng
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniel Findeis
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig Carolo Wilhelmina, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anne Wiekenberg
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig Carolo Wilhelmina, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ben Mulcahy
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Linjiao Luo
- Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Ministry of Education, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Li
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yangning Lu
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wesley Hung
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yixin Qu
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chi-Yip Ho
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Douglas Holmyard
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ni Ji
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Rebecca McWhirter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Aravinthan Dt Samuel
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - David M Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Ralf Schnabel
- Institut für Genetik, Technische Universität Braunschweig Carolo Wilhelmina, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Mei Zhen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Gracida X, Norris AD, Calarco JA. Regulation of Tissue-Specific Alternative Splicing: C. elegans as a Model System. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 2016; 907:229-61. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-29073-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
17
|
Abstract
The clustered, regularly interspaced, short, palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated (CAS) nuclease Cas9 has been used in many organisms to generate specific mutations and transgene insertions. Here we describe a method using the S. pyogenes Cas9 in C. elegans that provides a convenient and effective approach for making heritable changes to the worm genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Lab Building, 52 Oxford Street, B227.80, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Norris AD, Gao S, Norris ML, Ray D, Ramani AK, Fraser AG, Morris Q, Hughes TR, Zhen M, Calarco JA. A pair of RNA-binding proteins controls networks of splicing events contributing to specialization of neural cell types. Mol Cell 2014; 54:946-959. [PMID: 24910101 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is important for the development and function of the nervous system, but little is known about the differences in alternative splicing between distinct types of neurons. Furthermore, the factors that control cell-type-specific splicing and the physiological roles of these alternative isoforms are unclear. By monitoring alternative splicing at single-cell resolution in Caenorhabditis elegans, we demonstrate that splicing patterns in different neurons are often distinct and highly regulated. We identify two conserved RNA-binding proteins, UNC-75/CELF and EXC-7/Hu/ELAV, which regulate overlapping networks of splicing events in GABAergic and cholinergic neurons. We use the UNC-75 exon network to discover regulators of synaptic transmission and to identify unique roles for isoforms of UNC-64/Syntaxin, a protein required for synaptic vesicle fusion. Our results indicate that combinatorial regulation of alternative splicing in distinct neurons provides a mechanism to specialize metazoan nervous systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Norris
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Shangbang Gao
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Megan L Norris
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Debashish Ray
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Arun K Ramani
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Andrew G Fraser
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 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
| | - Quaid Morris
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 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
| | - Timothy R Hughes
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, 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
| | - Mei Zhen
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, 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.
| | - John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Friedland AE, Tzur YB, Esvelt KM, Colaiácovo MP, Church GM, Calarco JA. Heritable genome editing in C. elegans via a CRISPR-Cas9 system. Nat Methods 2013; 10:741-3. [PMID: 23817069 PMCID: PMC3822328 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 649] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
We report the use of clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated endonuclease Cas9 to target genomic sequences in the Caenorhabditis elegans germ line using single-guide RNAs that are expressed from a U6 small nuclear RNA promoter. Our results demonstrate that targeted, heritable genetic alterations can be achieved in C. elegans, providing a convenient and effective approach for generating loss-of-function mutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yonatan B. Tzur
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
| | - Kevin M. Esvelt
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| | | | - George M. Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA 02115
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| | - John A. Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
By regulating the inclusion of ‘cryptic’ exons in messenger RNA in nerve cells, NOVA proteins are able to influence the abundance of the corresponding proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- is at the FAS Center for Systems Biology , Harvard University , Cambridge , United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ellis JD, Barrios-Rodiles M, Colak R, Irimia M, Kim T, Calarco JA, Wang X, Pan Q, O'Hanlon D, Kim PM, Wrana JL, Blencowe BJ. Tissue-specific alternative splicing remodels protein-protein interaction networks. Mol Cell 2012; 46:884-92. [PMID: 22749401 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2012.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2012] [Revised: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing plays a key role in the expansion of proteomic and regulatory complexity, yet the functions of the vast majority of differentially spliced exons are not known. In this study, we observe that brain and other tissue-regulated exons are significantly enriched in flexible regions of proteins that likely form conserved interaction surfaces. These proteins participate in significantly more interactions in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks than other proteins. Using LUMIER, an automated PPI assay, we observe that approximately one-third of analyzed neural-regulated exons affect PPIs. Inclusion of these exons stimulated and repressed different partner interactions at comparable frequencies. This assay further revealed functions of individual exons, including a role for a neural-specific exon in promoting an interaction between Bridging Integrator 1 (Bin1)/Amphiphysin II and Dynamin 2 (Dnm2) that facilitates endocytosis. Collectively, our results provide evidence that regulated alternative exons frequently remodel interactions to establish tissue-dependent PPI networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Ellis
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Norris AD, Calarco JA. Emerging Roles of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing Regulation in Neuronal Development and Function. Front Neurosci 2012; 6:122. [PMID: 22936897 PMCID: PMC3424503 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing has the potential to greatly diversify the repertoire of transcripts in multicellular organisms. Increasing evidence suggests that this expansive layer of gene regulation plays a particularly important role in the development and function of the nervous system, one of the most complex organ systems found in nature. In this review, we highlight recent studies that continue to emphasize the influence and contribution of alternative splicing regulation to various aspects of neuronal development in addition to its role in the mature nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Norris
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Calarco JA, Zhen M, Blencowe BJ. Networking in a global world: establishing functional connections between neural splicing regulators and their target transcripts. RNA 2011; 17:775-91. [PMID: 21415141 PMCID: PMC3078728 DOI: 10.1261/rna.2603911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide analyses have indicated that almost all primary transcripts from multi-exon human genes undergo alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS). Given the prevalence of AS and its importance in expanding proteomic complexity, a major challenge that lies ahead is to determine the functional specificity of isoforms in a cellular context. A significant fraction of alternatively spliced transcripts are regulated in a tissue- or cell-type-specific manner, suggesting that these mRNA variants likely function in the generation of cellular diversity. Complementary to these observations, several tissue-specific splicing factors have been identified, and a number of methodological advances have enabled the identification of large repertoires of target transcripts regulated by these proteins. An emerging theme is that tissue-specific splicing factors regulate coherent sets of splice variants in genes known to function in related biological pathways. This review focuses on the recent progress in our understanding of neural-specific splicing factors and their regulatory networks and outlines existing and emerging strategies for uncovering important biological roles for the isoforms that comprise these networks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ramani AK, Calarco JA, Pan Q, Mavandadi S, Wang Y, Nelson AC, Lee LJ, Morris Q, Blencowe BJ, Zhen M, Fraser AG. Genome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genome Res 2010; 21:342-8. [PMID: 21177968 DOI: 10.1101/gr.114645.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing (AS) plays a crucial role in the diversification of gene function and regulation. Consequently, the systematic identification and characterization of temporally regulated splice variants is of critical importance to understanding animal development. We have used high-throughput RNA sequencing and microarray profiling to analyze AS in C. elegans across various stages of development. This analysis identified thousands of novel splicing events, including hundreds of developmentally regulated AS events. To make these data easily accessible and informative, we constructed the C. elegans Splice Browser, a web resource in which researchers can mine AS events of interest and retrieve information about their relative levels and regulation across development. The data presented in this study, along with the Splice Browser, provide the most comprehensive set of annotated splice variants in C. elegans to date, and are therefore expected to facilitate focused, high resolution in vivo functional assays of AS function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arun K Ramani
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Barash Y, Calarco JA, Gao W, Pan Q, Wang X, Shai O, Blencowe BJ, Frey BJ. Deciphering the splicing code. Nature 2010; 465:53-9. [PMID: 20445623 DOI: 10.1038/nature09000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 599] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/09/2010] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing has a crucial role in the generation of biological complexity, and its misregulation is often involved in human disease. Here we describe the assembly of a 'splicing code', which uses combinations of hundreds of RNA features to predict tissue-dependent changes in alternative splicing for thousands of exons. The code determines new classes of splicing patterns, identifies distinct regulatory programs in different tissues, and identifies mutation-verified regulatory sequences. Widespread regulatory strategies are revealed, including the use of unexpectedly large combinations of features, the establishment of low exon inclusion levels that are overcome by features in specific tissues, the appearance of features deeper into introns than previously appreciated, and the modulation of splice variant levels by transcript structure characteristics. The code detected a class of exons whose inclusion silences expression in adult tissues by activating nonsense-mediated messenger RNA decay, but whose exclusion promotes expression during embryogenesis. The code facilitates the discovery and detailed characterization of regulated alternative splicing events on a genome-wide scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoseph Barash
- Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto M5S 3G4, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Khanna M, Van Bakel H, Tang X, Calarco JA, Babak T, Guo G, Emili A, Greenblatt JF, Hughes TR, Krogan NJ, Blencowe BJ. A systematic characterization of Cwc21, the yeast ortholog of the human spliceosomal protein SRm300. RNA 2009; 15:2174-85. [PMID: 19789211 PMCID: PMC2779666 DOI: 10.1261/rna.1790509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Cwc21 (complexed with Cef1 protein 21) is a 135 amino acid yeast protein that shares homology with the N-terminal domain of human SRm300/SRRM2, a large serine/arginine-repeat protein shown previously to associate with the splicing coactivator and 3'-end processing stimulatory factor, SRm160. Proteomic analysis of spliceosomal complexes has suggested a role for Cwc21 and SRm300 at the core of the spliceosome. However, specific functions for these proteins have remained elusive. In this report, we employ quantitative genetic interaction mapping, mass spectrometry of tandem affinity-purified complexes, and microarray profiling to investigate genetic, physical, and functional interactions involving Cwc21. Combined data from these assays support multiple roles for Cwc21 in the formation and function of splicing complexes. Consistent with a role for Cwc21 at the core of the spliceosome, we observe strong genetic, physical, and functional interactions with Isy1, a protein previously implicated in the first catalytic step of splicing and splicing fidelity. Together, the results suggest multiple functions for Cwc21/SRm300 in the splicing process, including an important role in the activation of splicing in association with Isy1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- May Khanna
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Calarco JA, Superina S, O'Hanlon D, Gabut M, Raj B, Pan Q, Skalska U, Clarke L, Gelinas D, van der Kooy D, Zhen M, Ciruna B, Blencowe BJ. Regulation of vertebrate nervous system alternative splicing and development by an SR-related protein. Cell 2009; 138:898-910. [PMID: 19737518 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2009.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2008] [Revised: 03/11/2009] [Accepted: 06/01/2009] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a key process underlying the evolution of increased proteomic and functional complexity and is especially prevalent in the mammalian nervous system. However, the factors and mechanisms governing nervous system-specific alternative splicing are not well understood. Through a genome-wide computational and expression profiling strategy, we have identified a tissue- and vertebrate-restricted Ser/Arg (SR) repeat splicing factor, the neural-specific SR-related protein of 100 kDa (nSR100). We show that nSR100 regulates an extensive network of brain-specific alternative exons enriched in genes that function in neural cell differentiation. nSR100 acts by increasing the levels of the neural/brain-enriched polypyrimidine tract binding protein and by interacting with its target transcripts. Disruption of nSR100 prevents neural cell differentiation in cell culture and in the developing zebrafish. Our results thus reveal a critical neural-specific alternative splicing regulator, the evolution of which has contributed to increased complexity in the vertebrate nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, 160 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
28
|
Calarco JA, Xing Y, Cáceres M, Calarco JP, Xiao X, Pan Q, Lee C, Preuss TM, Blencowe BJ. Global analysis of alternative splicing differences between humans and chimpanzees. Genes Dev 2007; 21:2963-75. [PMID: 17978102 DOI: 10.1101/gad.1606907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a powerful mechanism affording extensive proteomic and regulatory diversity from a limited repertoire of genes. However, the extent to which alternative splicing has contributed to the evolution of primate species-specific characteristics has not been assessed previously. Using comparative genomics and quantitative microarray profiling, we performed the first global analysis of alternative splicing differences between humans and chimpanzees. Surprisingly, 6%-8% of profiled orthologous exons display pronounced splicing level differences in the corresponding tissues from the two species. Little overlap is observed between the genes associated with alternative splicing differences and the genes that display steady-state transcript level differences, indicating that these layers of regulation have evolved rapidly to affect distinct subsets of genes in humans and chimpanzees. The alternative splicing differences we detected are predicted to affect diverse functions including gene expression, signal transduction, cell death, immune defense, and susceptibility to diseases. Differences in expression at the protein level of the major splice variant of Glutathione S-transferase omega-2 (GSTO2), which functions in the protection against oxidative stress and is associated with human aging-related diseases, suggests that this enzyme is less active in human cells compared with chimpanzee cells. The results of this study thus support an important role for alternative splicing in establishing differences between humans and chimpanzees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University of Toronto, Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Wang Y, Gracheva EO, Richmond J, Kawano T, Couto JM, Calarco JA, Vijayaratnam V, Jin Y, Zhen M. The C2H2 zinc-finger protein SYD-9 is a putative posttranscriptional regulator for synaptic transmission. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:10450-10455. [PMID: 16803962 PMCID: PMC1502478 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0602073103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Communication between neurons is largely achieved through chemical synapses, where neurotransmitters are released from synaptic vesicles at presynaptic terminals to activate postsynaptic cells. Exo- and endocytosis are coordinated to replenish the synaptic vesicle pool for sustained neuronal activity. We identified syd-9 (syd, synapse defective), a gene that encodes multiple C2H2 zinc-finger domain-containing proteins specifically required for synaptic function in Caenorhabditis elegans. syd-9 loss-of-function mutants exhibit locomotory defects, a diffuse distribution of synaptic proteins, and decreased synaptic transmission with unaffected neurodevelopment. syd-9 mutants share phenotypic and ultrastructural characteristics with mutants that lack synaptic proteins that are required for endocytosis. syd-9 mutants also display genetic interactions with these endocytotic mutants, suggesting that SYD-9 regulates endocytosis. SYD-9 proteins are enriched in the nuclei of both neuron and muscle cells, but their neuronal expression plays a major role in locomotion. SYD-9 isoforms display a speckle-like expression pattern that is typical of RNA-binding proteins that regulate premRNA splicing. Furthermore, syd-9 functions in parallel with unc-75 (unc, uncoordinated), the C. elegans homologue of the CELF/BrunoL family protein that regulates mRNA alternative splicing and processing, and is also required specifically for synaptic transmission. We propose that neuronal SYD-9 proteins are previously uncharacterized and specific posttranscriptional regulators of synaptic vesicle endocytosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - Elena O Gracheva
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607; and
| | - Janet Richmond
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607; and
| | - Taizo Kawano
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - Jillian M Couto
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - John A Calarco
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - Vijhee Vijayaratnam
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - Yishi Jin
- Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - Mei Zhen
- *Department of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Toronto and The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5;
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Cartegni L, Hastings ML, Calarco JA, de Stanchina E, Krainer AR. Determinants of exon 7 splicing in the spinal muscular atrophy genes, SMN1 and SMN2. Am J Hum Genet 2006; 78:63-77. [PMID: 16385450 PMCID: PMC1380224 DOI: 10.1086/498853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2005] [Accepted: 10/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the deletion or mutation of the survival-of-motor-neuron gene, SMN1. An SMN1 paralog, SMN2, differs by a C-->T transition in exon 7 that causes substantial skipping of this exon, such that SMN2 expresses only low levels of functional protein. A better understanding of SMN splicing mechanisms should facilitate the development of drugs that increase survival motor neuron (SMN) protein levels by improving SMN2 exon 7 inclusion. In addition, exonic mutations that cause defective splicing give rise to many genetic diseases, and the SMN1/2 system is a useful paradigm for understanding exon-identity determinants and alternative-splicing mechanisms. Skipping of SMN2 exon 7 was previously attributed either to the loss of an SF2/ASF-dependent exonic splicing enhancer or to the creation of an hnRNP A/B-dependent exonic splicing silencer, as a result of the C-->T transition. We report the extensive testing of the enhancer-loss and silencer-gain models by mutagenesis, RNA interference, overexpression, RNA splicing, and RNA-protein interaction experiments. Our results support the enhancer-loss model but also demonstrate that hnRNP A/B proteins antagonize SF2/ASF-dependent ESE activity and promote exon 7 skipping by a mechanism that is independent of the C-->T transition and is, therefore, common to both SMN1 and SMN2. Our findings explain the basis of defective SMN2 splicing, illustrate the fine balance between positive and negative determinants of exon identity and alternative splicing, and underscore the importance of antagonistic splicing factors and exonic elements in a disease context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Cartegni
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rosonina E, Ip JYY, Calarco JA, Bakowski MA, Emili A, McCracken S, Tucker P, Ingles CJ, Blencowe BJ. Role for PSF in mediating transcriptional activator-dependent stimulation of pre-mRNA processing in vivo. Mol Cell Biol 2005; 25:6734-46. [PMID: 16024807 PMCID: PMC1190332 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.25.15.6734-6746.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2005] [Revised: 03/23/2005] [Accepted: 05/10/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent study, we provided evidence that strong promoter-bound transcriptional activators result in higher levels of splicing and 3'-end cleavage of nascent pre-mRNA than do weak promoter-bound activators and that this effect of strong activators requires the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (pol II). In the present study, we have investigated the mechanism of activator- and CTD-mediated stimulation of pre-mRNA processing. Affinity chromatography experiments reveal that two factors previously implicated in the coupling of transcription and pre-mRNA processing, PSF and p54(nrb)/NonO, preferentially bind a strong rather than a weak activation domain. Elevated expression in human 293 cells of PSF bypasses the requirement for a strong activator to promote efficient splicing and 3'-end cleavage. Truncation of the pol II CTD, which consists of 52 repeats of the consensus heptapeptide sequence YSPTSPS, to 15 heptapeptide repeats prevents PSF-dependent stimulation of splicing and 3'-end cleavage. Moreover, PSF and p54(nrb)/NonO bind in vitro to the wild-type CTD but not to the truncated 15-repeat CTD, and domains in PSF that are required for binding to activators and to the CTD are also important for the stimulation of pre-mRNA processing. Interestingly, activator- and CTD-dependent stimulation of splicing mediated by PSF appears to primarily affect the removal of first introns. Collectively, these results suggest that the recruitment of PSF to activated promoters and the pol II CTD provides a mechanism by which transcription and pre-mRNA processing are coordinated within the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Rosonina
- Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, C. H. Best Institute, 112 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L6, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|