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PubMed1998

Splicing of 5' introns dictates alternative splice selection of acetylcholinesterase pre-mRNA and specific expression during myogenesis.

Splicing of alternative exon 6 to invariant exons 2, 3, and 4 in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) pre-mRNA results in expression of the prevailing enzyme species in the nervous system and at the neuromuscular junction of skeletal muscle. The structural determinants controlling splice selection are examined in differentiating C2-C12 muscle cells by selective intron deletion from and site-directed mutagenesis in the Ache gene. Transfection of a plasmid lacking two invariant introns (introns II and III) within the open reading frame of the Ache gene, located 5' of the alternative splice region, resulted in alternatively spliced mRNAs encoding enzyme forms not found endogenously in myotubes. Retention of either intron II or III is sufficient to control the tissue-specific pre-mRNA splicing pattern prevalent in situ. Further deletions and branch point mutations revealed that upstream splicing, but not the secondary structure of AChE pre-mRNA, is the determining factor in the splice selection. In addition, deletion of the alternative intron between the splice donor site and alternative acceptor sites resulted in aberrant upstream splicing. Thus, selective splicing of AChE pre-mRNA during myogenesis occurs in an ordered recognition sequence in which the alternative intron influences the fidelity of correct upstream splicing, which, in turn, determines the downstream splice selection of alternative exons.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed2006

Murine leukemia virus regulates alternative splicing through sequences upstream of the 5' splice site.

Alternative splicing of the primary transcript plays a key role in retroviral gene expression. In contrast to all known mechanisms that mediate alternative splicing in retroviruses, we found that in murine leukemia virus, distinct elements located upstream of the 5' splice site either inhibited or activated splicing of the genomic RNA. Detailed analysis of the first untranslated exon showed that the primer binding site (PBS) activates splicing, whereas flanking sequences either downstream or upstream of the PBS are inhibitory. This new function of the PBS was independent of its orientation and primer binding but associated with a particular destabilizing role in a proposed secondary structure. On the contrary, all sequences surrounding the PBS that are involved in stem formation of the first exon were found to suppress splicing. Targeted mutations that destabilized the central stem and compensatory mutations of the counter strand clearly validated the concept that murine leukemia virus attenuates its 5' splice site by forming an inhibitory stem-loop in its first exon. Importantly, this mode of splice regulation was conserved in a complete proviral clone. Some of the mutants that increase splicing revealed an opposite effect on translation, implying that the first exon also regulates this process. Together, these findings suggest that sequences upstream of the 5' splice site play an important role in splice regulation of simple retroviruses, directly or indirectly attenuating the efficiency of splicing.

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1997

Identification of a human protein that recognizes the 3' splice site during the second step of pre-mRNA splicing.

Accurate splicing of precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) requires recognition of the 5' and 3' splice sites at the intron boundaries. Interactions between several splicing factors and the 5' splice site, which occur prior to the first step of splicing, have been well described. In contrast, recognition of the 3' splice site, which is cleaved during the second catalytic step, is poorly understood, particularly in higher eukaryotes. Here, using site-specific photo-crosslinking, we find that the conserved AG dinucleotide at the 3' splice site is contacted specifically by a 70 kDa polypeptide (p70). The p70-3' splice site crosslink has kinetics and biochemical requirements similar to those of splicing, was detected only in the mature spliceosome and occurs subsequent to the first step. Thus, p70 has all the properties expected of a factor that functionally interacts with the 3' splice site during the second step of splicing. Using antisera to various known splicing factors, we find that p70 corresponds to a previously reported 69 kDa protein of unknown function associated with the Sm core domain of spliceosomal small nuclear ribonucleoproteins.

Cross-Linking Reagents↗
PubMed2006

RS domains contact splicing signals and promote splicing by a common mechanism in yeast through humans.

Serine-arginine (SR) proteins are general metazoan splicing factors that contain an essential arginine-serine-rich (RS) domain. We have previously found that mammalian spliceosome assembly involves a series of sequential interactions between RS domains and two splicing signals: the branchpoint and the 5' splice site. Here we study how RS domains are directed to specifically contact splicing signals, and how this interaction promotes splicing. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacks SR proteins. However, we show that tethering a mammalian RS domain to a yeast actin pre-mRNA rescues splicing of certain branchpoint or 5' splice site mutants in which U snRNA base-pairing has been decreased. Conversely, on a mammalian pre-mRNA, a normally essential SR protein becomes dispensable when the complementarity of a splicing signal to a U snRNA is increased. We find that in the absence of other splicing factors an RS domain tethered to a pre-mRNA selectively contacts a double-stranded RNA region and enhances RNA-RNA base-pairing. Significantly, all of these activities require phosphorylation of the RS domain. Based on these results, we propose that RS domains selectively contact splicing signals because, due to transient U snRNA base-pairing, they are partially double-stranded. The RS domain-splicing signal interaction, in turn, promotes (or stabilizes) base-pairing between the U snRNA and pre-mRNA substrate, thereby enhancing splicing. Our results reveal a common mechanism of RS domain function in yeast through humans.

Arginine↗
PubMed1988

Determinants of the 3' splice site for self-splicing of the Tetrahymena pre-rRNA.

Tetrahymena preribosomal RNA undergoes self-splicing in vitro. The structural components involved in recognition of the 5' splice site have been identified, but the mechanism by which the 3' splice site is recognized is not established. To identify some components of 3'splice site recognition, we have generated mutations near the 3' splice site and determined their effects on self-splicing. Alteration of the 3'-terminal guanosine of the intervening sequence (IVS), a conserved nucleotide in group I IVSs, almost eliminated 3' splice site activity; the IVS-3' exon splicing intermediate accumulated, and exon ligation was extremely slow. These mutations do not result in recruitment of cryptic 3' splice sites, in contrast to mutations that affect the 5' splice site. Alteration of the cytidine preceding the 3'-terminal guanosine or of the first two nucleotides of the 3' exon had similar but less severe effects on exon ligation. Most of the mutants showed some reduction (less than threefold) in GTP addition at the 5' splice site. A mutation that placed a new guanosine residue just upstream from the 3'-terminal guanosine misspliced to produce ligated exons with one extra nucleotide between the 5' and 3' exons. We conclude that multiple nucleotides, located both at the 3' end of the IVS and in the 3' exon, are required for 3' splice site recognition.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

U1 snRNP can influence 3'-splice site selection as well as 5'-splice site selection.

To address the mechanisms that underlie splice site selection and splice site partner assignment, we analyzed the splicing of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) transcripts containing splice site region duplications. When the 5'-splice site region was duplicated, both sites were utilized to the same extent, indicating little or no influence of proximity on 5'-splice site choice. However, the effect of a 5'-mutant site was greatly enhanced by the presence of an adjacent wild-type site, and this effect was reversed by the restoration of base-pairing with U1 snRNA. 3'-Splice site choice was apparently influenced by proximity, as the site closest to the 5'-splice site was greatly preferred. Studies with strains carrying some U1 snRNA mutations showed an increase in the use of the distal 3'-splice site, indicating a role for U1 snRNP in 3'-splice site selection. The data are compared with those from mammalian splice site choice experiments and suggest mechanisms that influence differential splice site choice as well as exon skipping.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Characterization of U4 and U6 interactions with the 5' splice site using a S. cerevisiae in vitro trans-splicing system.

Spliceosome assembly has been characterized as the ordered association of the snRNP particles U1, U2, and U4/U6.U5 onto pre-mRNA. We have used an in vitro trans-splicing/cross-linking system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear extracts to examine the first step of this process, 5' splice site recognition. This trans-splicing reaction has ATP, Mg(2+), and splice-site sequence requirements similar to those of cis-splicing reactions. Using this system, we identified and characterized a novel U4-5' splice site interaction that is ATP-dependent, but does not require the branch point, the 3' splice site, or the 5' end of the U1 snRNA. Additionally, we identified several ATP-dependent U6 cross-links at the 5' splice site, indicating that different regions of U6 sample it before a U6-5' splice site interaction is stabilized that persists through the first step of splicing. This work provides evidence for ATP-dependent U4/U6 association with the 5' splice site independent of ATP-mediated U2 association with the branch point. Furthermore, it defines specific nucleotides in U4 and U6 that interact with the 5' splice site at this early stage, even in the absence of base-pairing with the U1 snRNA.

5' Untranslated Regions↗
PubMed1997

Nuclear mutations that block group II RNA splicing in maize chloroplasts reveal several intron classes with distinct requirements for splicing factors.

To elucidate mechanisms that regulate chloroplast RNA splicing in multicellular plants, we sought nuclear mutations in maize that result in chloroplast splicing defects. Evidence is presented for two nuclear genes whose function is required for the splicing of group II introns in maize chloroplasts. A mutation in the crs1 (for chloroplast RNA splicing 1) gene blocks the splicing of only the atpF intron, whereas a mutation in the crs2 gene blocks the splicing of many chloroplast introns. In addition, a correlation was observed between the absence of plastid ribosomes and the failure to splice several chloroplast introns. Our results suggest that a chloroplast-encoded factor and a nuclear-encoded factor whose activity requires crs2 function facilitate the splicing of distinct sets of group II introns. These two genetically defined intron sets also differ with regard to intron structure: one set consists of only subgroup IIA introns and the other of only subgroup IIB introns. Therefore, it is likely that distinct splicing factors recognize subgroup-specific features of intron structure or facilitate subgroup-specific aspects of the splicing reaction. Of the 12 pre-mRNA introns in the maize chloroplast genome, only one is normally spliced in both crs2 mutants and in mutants lacking plastid ribosomes, indicating that few, if any, of the group II introns in the chloroplast genome undergo autocatalytic splicing in vivo.

Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of RNA splicing at the Rous sarcoma virus src 3' splice site is mediated by an interaction between a negative cis element and a chicken embryo fibroblast nuclear factor.

In permissive Rous sarcoma virus-infected chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF), approximately equimolar amounts of env and src mRNAs are present. In nonpermissive mammalian cells, the src mRNA level is elevated and env mRNA level is reduced. A cis element in the region between the env gene and the src 3' splice site, which we have termed the suppressor of src splicing (SSS), acts specifically in CEF but not in human cells to reduce src mRNA levels. The splicing inhibition in CEF is not caused by a base-paired structure which is predicted to form between the SSS and the src 3' splice site. To further investigate the mechanism of the inhibition, we have used human HeLa cell nuclear extracts to compare in vitro the rates of splicing of RNA substrates containing the Rous sarcoma virus major 5' splice site and either the env or src 3' splice sites. We show that the src 3' splice site is used approximately fivefold more efficiently than the env 3' splice site. The efficiency of in vitro splicing at the src 3' splice site is specifically reduced by addition of CEF nuclear extract. The inhibition is dependent on the presence of the SSS element and can be abrogated by addition of competitor RNA. We propose that the SSS region represents a binding site for a negative-acting CEF splicing factor(s).

Animals↗
PubMed1993

T cell receptor-beta mRNA splicing: regulation of unusual splicing intermediates.

The expression of functional T cell receptor-beta (TCR-beta) transcripts requires the activation of programmed DNA rearrangement events. It is not clear whether other mechanisms dictate TCR-beta mRNA levels during thymic ontogeny. We examined the potential role of RNA splicing as a regulatory mechanism. As a model system, we used an immature T cell clone, SL12.4, that transcribes a fully rearranged TCR-beta gene but essentially lacks mature 1.3-kb TCR-beta transcripts in the cytoplasm. Abundant TCR-beta splicing intermediates accumulate in the nucleus of this cell clone. These splicing intermediates result from inefficient or inhibited excision of four of the five TCR-beta introns; the only intron that is efficiently spliced is the most 5' intron, IVSL. The focal point for the regulation appears to be IVS1C beta 1 and IVS2C beta 1, since unusual splicing intermediates that have cleaved the 5' splice site but not the 3' splice site of these two introns accumulate in vivo. The block in 3' splice site cleavage is of interest since sequence analysis reveals that these two introns possess canonical splice sites. A repressional mechanism involving a labile repressor protein may be responsible for the inhibition of RNA splicing since treatment of SL12.4 cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide reversibly induces a rapid and dramatic accumulation of fully spliced TCR-beta transcripts in the cytoplasm, concomitant with a decline in TCR-beta pre-mRNAs in the nucleus. This inducible system may be useful for future studies analyzing the underlying molecular mechanisms that regulate RNA splicing.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Control of hnRNP A1 alternative splicing: an intron element represses use of the common 3' splice site.

Alternative splicing of exon 7B in the hnRNP A1 pre-mRNA produces mRNAs encoding two proteins: hnRNP A1 and the less abundant A1B. We have reported the identification of several intron elements that contribute to exon 7B skipping. In this study, we report the activity of a novel element, conserved element 9 (CE9), located in the intron downstream of exon 7B. We show that multiple copies of CE9 inhibit exon 7B-exon 8 splicing in vitro. When CE9 is inserted between two competing 3' splice sites, a single copy of CE9 decreases splicing to the distal 3' splice site. Our in vivo results also support the conclusion that CE9 is a splicing modulator. First, inserting multiple copies of CE9 into an A1 minigene compromises the production of fully spliced products. Second, one copy of CE9 stimulates the inclusion of a short internal exon in a derivative of the human beta-globin gene. In this case, in vitro splicing assays suggest that CE9 decreases splicing of intron 1, an event that improves splicing of intron 2 and decreases skipping of the short internal exon. The ability of CE9 to act on heterologous substrates, combined with the results of a competition assay, suggest that the activity of CE9 is mediated by a trans-acting factor. Our results indicate that CE9 represses the use of the common 3' splice site in the hnRNP A1 alternative splicing unit.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed2006

Cell type and culture condition-dependent alternative splicing in human breast cancer cells revealed by splicing-sensitive microarrays.

Growing evidence indicates that alternative or aberrant pre-mRNA splicing takes place during the development, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer. However, which splicing changes that might contribute directly to tumorigenesis or cancer progression remain to be elucidated. We used splicing-sensitive microarrays to detect differences in alternative splicing between two breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 (estrogen receptor positive) and MDA-MB-231 (estrogen receptor negative), as well as cultured human mammary epithelial cells. Several splicing alterations in genes, including CD44, FAS, RBM9, hnRNPA/B, APLP2, and MYL6, were detected by the microarray and verified by reverse transcription-PCR. We also compared splicing in these breast cancer cells cultured in either two-dimensional flat dishes or in three-dimensional Matrigel conditions. Only a subset of the splicing differences that distinguish MCF7 cells from MDA-MB-231 cells under two-dimensional culture condition is retained under three-dimensional conditions, suggesting that alternative splicing events are influenced by the geometry of the culture conditions of these cells. Further characterization of splicing patterns of several genes in MCF7 cells grown in Matrigel and in xenograft in nude mice shows that splicing is similar under both conditions. Thus, our oligonucleotide microarray can effectively detect changes in alternative splicing in different cells or in the same cells grown in different environments. Our findings also illustrate the potential for understanding gene expression with resolution of alternative splicing in the study of breast cancer.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed2003

Cis-acting intronic elements that regulate cartilage-specific alternative splicing of the type II collagen (Col2) pre-mRNA lie at or near splice site junction sequences flanking exon 2 of the gene.

UNLABELLED: Knowledge of the cis-acting elements is required for identifying trans-acting splicing factors underlying cartilage-specific alternative splicing of Col2 pre-mRNA. By performing desired deletions in the mouse Col2 pre-mRNA, location of the intronic cis-acting elements was narrowed down to be at or near splice-junction sequences flanking exon 2 of the gene. INTRODUCTION: Type II collagen (Col2) pre-mRNA undergoes cartilage-specific alternative splicing involving exon 2 during chondrocyte differentiation. Thus, the trans-acting protein factors that regulate the splicing are associated with the differentiation of chondrocytes. Knowledge of the cognate cis-acting elements is necessary to eventually identify the trans-acting factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To localize the cis-acting sequences, we created several deletions within a minigene containing exon 1 to exon 4 of mouse Col 2 gene and evaluated alternative splicing of the resulting pre-mRNAs in ATDC5 cells, a model of insulin-stimulated chondrocyte differentiation. The first deletion reduced intron 1 from 3799 to 259 bp, the second reduced intron 2 from 1108 to 94 bp, the third combined the above two deletions, and the fourth was derived from the third by removing intron 3 and exon 4. ATDC5 cells harboring these constructs were cultured for up to 21 days with or without insulin. Alternative splicing was evaluated by determining the ratio of Col2B (lacks exon 2) to Col2A (has exon 2) RNAs by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The deletion in intron 1 had no effect on the alternative splicing while other deletions affected splicing (demonstrated by the presence of splicing intermediates) in cells cultured without insulin or with insulin for 1 week. The splicing intermediates were not seen from any construct when cells were cultured longer (14-21 days) with insulin. CONCLUSION: These results show that the 259-bp intron 1, the 94-bp intron 2, and exon 2 sequences retained in the fourth construct provide cis-acting signal sufficient for insulin-induced cartilage-specific alternative splicing of Col2 pre-mRNA.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1996

Exon 10 skipping caused by intron 10 splice donor site mutation in cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene results in abnormal downstream splice site selection.

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) deficiency is the most common cause of hyperalphalipoproteinemia in Japan. However, the genetic basis of this disorder has not been fully characterized. We have studied a 49-year-old Japanese male presenting with total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein A-I levels of 300, 236, and 233 mg/dl, respectively, and total absence of CETP activity and mass in plasma. Sequence analysis of the patient's CETP gene revealed that the splice donor consensus GT was substituted by GG in intron 10 (intron 10 splice defect) and by AT in intron 14 (intron 14 splice defect). Restriction digestion of PCR-amplified DNA using NdeI and MaeIII established that the patient was a compound heterozygote for both gene defects. Sequencing of cDNA amplified by RT-PCR from the patient's monocyte-derived macrophage RNA demonstrated abnormal splicing with deletion of exon 10 as well as alternative splicing at a native AG site located 31 nucleotides 5' of the normal splice acceptor in intron 13. Thus, the intron 10 splice defect results in exon 10 skipping and the insertion of a 31 bp fragment between exon 13 and exon 14, which contains an in frame stop codon. The presence of abnormally spliced mRNA was further confirmed by amplification of patient cDNA using CETP specific primers. Abnormal splicing of exon 14 as a result of the intron 14 splice defect was not detected, indicating potential unstable CETP mRNA derived from that mutation. These findings demonstrate that a novel splice site mutation in intron 10 of the CETP gene results in the skipping of exon 10, as well as disruption of downstream splicing at intron 13 identifying a novel mechanism leading to CETP deficiency.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Tissue-specific alternative splicing of Shaker potassium channel transcripts results from distinct modes of regulating 3' splice choice.

Alternative splicing of precursor RNA enables a single gene to encode multiple protein isoforms with different functional characteristics and tissue distributions. Differential splicing of Drosophila Shaker (Sh) gene transcripts regulates the tissue-specific expression of kinetically distinct potassium ion channels throughout development. Regulation of Sh alternative splicing is being examined in germline transformants using lacZ as a reporter gene. P-element constructs were generated in which one or both of the two mutually exclusive Sh 3' acceptor sites were positioned in the same translational reading frame as the lacZ coding sequences. The constructs were introduced into the germline and the transgenic animals examined for tissue-specific beta-galactosidase expression patterns. Some tissues exhibit "promiscuous" splicing; these tissues are competent to splice to either 3' acceptor even when both are present on the same pre-mRNA. In other tissues splice choice results from competition between the two 3' sites; these tissues can splice to either site when it is the only available 3' acceptor, but when given a choice will splice to only one of the two 3' acceptors. In some tissues, splicing occurs exclusively at only one of the 3' acceptor sites; these tissues are not competent to splice to one of the sites even if it is the only 3' acceptor present on the pre-mRNA. These results suggests that multiple, distinct regulatory modes are operating to control tissue-specific alternative splicing of Sh 3' domains and are discussed in terms of potential underlying mechanisms for regulating the tissue-specific expression of alternatively spliced genes.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed2002

Abnormal mRNA splicing resulting from consensus sequence splicing mutations of ATP7B.

More than 200 Wilson disease (WD) disease-causing mutations have been defined to date. Missense mutations are largely prevalent while splice-site mutations are limited in number. Most reside in the splice donor or acceptor sites and only a minority are detected in splicing consensus sequences. Furthermore, only a few splicing mutations have been studied at the RNA level to date. In this study, using the RT-PCR method we performed the molecular characterization of four consensus splice-site mutations identified by DNA analysis in patients with WD. One of them, previously described 1707+3insT, occurred at position 3 in the donor splice site of intron 4, while the other three, 2122-8T>G, 2866-6T>G, and 3061-12T>A, are novel and occurred in the acceptor splice sites of introns 7, 12, and 13, respectively. Analysis revealed a prevalently abnormal splicing in the samples carrying the mutations compared to the normal controls. Comparison of RNA splicing with normal controls in liver and lymphocytes further suggests that abnormal splicing of the WD gene is also present and differentially regulated in normal tissues. The results produced in this study strongly suggest that DNA mutations residing in the consensus sequence of WD gene splice sites result in the WD phenotype by interfering with the production of the normal WD protein. Further studies are necessary to better quantify the amount of different transcripts produced by these mutations, and establish their correlation with the disease phenotype.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed2004

Nonclassical splicing mutations in the coding and noncoding regions of the ATM Gene: maximum entropy estimates of splice junction strengths.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive neurological disorder caused by mutations in the ATM gene. Classical splicing mutations (type I) delete entire exons during pre-mRNA splicing. In this report, we describe nine examples of nonclassical splicing mutations in 12 A-T patients and compare cDNA changes to estimates of splice junction strengths based on maximum entropy modeling. These mutations fall into three categories: pseudoexon insertions (type II), single nucleotide changes within the exon (type III), and intronic changes that disrupt the conserved 3' splice sequence and lead to partial exon deletion (type IV). Four patients with a previously reported type II (pseudoexon) mutation all shared a common founder haplotype. Three patients with apparent missense or silent mutations actually had type III aberrant splicing and partial deletion of an exon. Five patients had type IV mutations that could have been misinterpreted as classical splicing mutations. Instead, their mutations disrupt a splice site and use another AG splice site located nearby within the exon; they lead to partial deletions at the beginning of exons. These nonclassical splicing mutations create frameshifts that result in premature termination codons. Without screening cDNA or using accurate models of splice site strength, the consequences of these genomic mutations cannot be reliably predicted. This may lead to further misinterpretation of genotype-phenotype correlations and may subsequently impact upon gene-based therapeutic approaches.

Ataxia Telangiectasia↗
PubMed1999

A downstream splicing enhancer is essential for in vitro pre-mRNA splicing.

Splicing enhancers have previously been shown to promote processing of introns containing weak splicing signals. Here, we extend these studies by showing that also 'strong' constitutively active introns are absolutely dependent on a downstream splicing enhancer for activity in vitro. SR protein binding to exonic enhancer elements or U1 snRNP binding to a downstream 5' splice site serve redundant functions as activators of splicing. We further show that a 5' splice site is most effective as an enhancer of splicing. Thus, a 5' splice site is functional in S100 extracts, under conditions where a SR enhancer is nonfunctional. Also, splice site pairing occurs efficiently in the absence of exonic SR enhancers, emphasizing the significance of a downstream 5' splice site as the enhancer element in vertebrate splicing.

Adenoviruses, Human↗