scholarly journals Defective control of pre–messenger RNA splicing in human disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 212 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Chabot ◽  
Lulzim Shkreta

Examples of associations between human disease and defects in pre–messenger RNA splicing/alternative splicing are accumulating. Although many alterations are caused by mutations in splicing signals or regulatory sequence elements, recent studies have noted the disruptive impact of mutated generic spliceosome components and splicing regulatory proteins. This review highlights recent progress in our understanding of how the altered splicing function of RNA-binding proteins contributes to myelodysplastic syndromes, cancer, and neuropathologies.

Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 132 (6) ◽  
pp. 811-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Elliott ◽  
Sushma N Grellscheid

Alternative splicing regulation has been shown to be critically important for several developmental pathways. It is particularly prevalent in the testis, which is the site of an extensive adult developmental programme. Alternative splicing is controlled by a splicing code, in which transcripts respond to subtle cell type-specific variations in positive and negative trans-acting RNA-binding proteins according to their unique set of binding sites for these proteins. Because of their unique combinations ofcis-acting sequence elements, specific transcripts are able to respond individually to this code. In this review, we discuss how this code may be deciphered in germ cells to mediate a splicing response.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (14) ◽  
pp. i333-i342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zichao Yan ◽  
Eric Lécuyer ◽  
Mathieu Blanchette

Abstract Motivation Messenger RNA subcellular localization mechanisms play a crucial role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. This trafficking is mediated by trans-acting RNA-binding proteins interacting with cis-regulatory elements called zipcodes. While new sequencing-based technologies allow the high-throughput identification of RNAs localized to specific subcellular compartments, the precise mechanisms at play, and their dependency on specific sequence elements, remain poorly understood. Results We introduce RNATracker, a novel deep neural network built to predict, from their sequence alone, the distributions of mRNA transcripts over a predefined set of subcellular compartments. RNATracker integrates several state-of-the-art deep learning techniques (e.g. CNN, LSTM and attention layers) and can make use of both sequence and secondary structure information. We report on a variety of evaluations showing RNATracker’s strong predictive power, which is significantly superior to a variety of baseline predictors. Despite its complexity, several aspects of the model can be isolated to yield valuable, testable mechanistic hypotheses, and to locate candidate zipcode sequences within transcripts. Availability and implementation Code and data can be accessed at https://www.github.com/HarveyYan/RNATracker. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (11) ◽  
pp. 3280-3288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cazzola ◽  
Radek C. Skoda

Abstract In higher eukaryotes, the expression of about 1 gene in 10 is strongly regulated at the level of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation into protein. Negative regulatory effects are often mediated by the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) and rely on the fact that the 40S ribosomal subunit first binds to the cap structure at the 5′-end of mRNA and then scans for the first AUG codon. Self-complementary sequences can form stable stem-loop structures that interfere with the assembly of the preinitiation complex and/or ribosomal scanning. These stem loops can be further stabilized by the interaction with RNA-binding proteins, as in the case of ferritin. The presence of AUG codons located upstream of the physiological start site can inhibit translation by causing premature initiation and thereby preventing the ribosome from reaching the physiological start codon, as in the case of thrombopoietin (TPO). Recently, mutations that cause disease through increased or decreased efficiency of mRNA translation have been discovered, defining translational pathophysiology as a novel mechanism of human disease. Hereditary hyperferritinemia/cataract syndrome arises from various point mutations or deletions within a protein-binding sequence in the 5′-UTR of the L-ferritin mRNA. Each unique mutation confers a characteristic degree of hyperferritinemia and severity of cataract in affected individuals. Hereditary thrombocythemia (sometimes called familial essential thrombocythemia or familial thrombocytosis) can be caused by mutations in upstream AUG codons in the 5′-UTR of the TPO mRNA that normally function as translational repressors. Their inactivation leads to excessive production of TPO and elevated platelet counts. Finally, predisposition to melanoma may originate from mutations that create translational repressors in the 5′-UTR of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor–2A gene.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (10) ◽  
pp. 5269-5279 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Phillips ◽  
Yang Pan ◽  
Brandon L. Tsai ◽  
Zhijie Xie ◽  
Levon Demirdjian ◽  
...  

We sought to define the landscape of alternative pre-mRNA splicing in prostate cancers and the relationship of exon choice to known cancer driver alterations. To do so, we compiled a metadataset composed of 876 RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) samples from five publicly available sources representing a range of prostate phenotypes from normal tissue to drug-resistant metastases. We subjected these samples to exon-level analysis with rMATS-turbo, purpose-built software designed for large-scale analyses of splicing, and identified 13,149 high-confidence cassette exon events with variable incorporation across samples. We then developed a computational framework, pathway enrichment-guided activity study of alternative splicing (PEGASAS), to correlate transcriptional signatures of 50 different cancer driver pathways with these alternative splicing events. We discovered that Myc signaling was correlated with incorporation of a set of 1,039 cassette exons enriched in genes encoding RNA binding proteins. Using a human prostate epithelial transformation assay, we confirmed the Myc regulation of 147 of these exons, many of which introduced frameshifts or encoded premature stop codons. Our results connect changes in alternative pre-mRNA splicing to oncogenic alterations common in prostate and many other cancers. We also establish a role for Myc in regulating RNA splicing by controlling the incorporation of nonsense-mediated decay-determinant exons in genes encoding RNA binding proteins.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 95 (11) ◽  
pp. 3280-3288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Cazzola ◽  
Radek C. Skoda

In higher eukaryotes, the expression of about 1 gene in 10 is strongly regulated at the level of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation into protein. Negative regulatory effects are often mediated by the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) and rely on the fact that the 40S ribosomal subunit first binds to the cap structure at the 5′-end of mRNA and then scans for the first AUG codon. Self-complementary sequences can form stable stem-loop structures that interfere with the assembly of the preinitiation complex and/or ribosomal scanning. These stem loops can be further stabilized by the interaction with RNA-binding proteins, as in the case of ferritin. The presence of AUG codons located upstream of the physiological start site can inhibit translation by causing premature initiation and thereby preventing the ribosome from reaching the physiological start codon, as in the case of thrombopoietin (TPO). Recently, mutations that cause disease through increased or decreased efficiency of mRNA translation have been discovered, defining translational pathophysiology as a novel mechanism of human disease. Hereditary hyperferritinemia/cataract syndrome arises from various point mutations or deletions within a protein-binding sequence in the 5′-UTR of the L-ferritin mRNA. Each unique mutation confers a characteristic degree of hyperferritinemia and severity of cataract in affected individuals. Hereditary thrombocythemia (sometimes called familial essential thrombocythemia or familial thrombocytosis) can be caused by mutations in upstream AUG codons in the 5′-UTR of the TPO mRNA that normally function as translational repressors. Their inactivation leads to excessive production of TPO and elevated platelet counts. Finally, predisposition to melanoma may originate from mutations that create translational repressors in the 5′-UTR of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor–2A gene.


1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 1953-1960 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Nandabalan ◽  
G S Roeder

The transcript of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MER2 gene is spliced efficiently during meiosis but not during vegetative growth. Efficient splicing of the wild-type MER2 transcript requires the Mer1 protein, which is produced only in meiotic cells. Analysis of deletion and substitution mutations in the MER2 5' exon demonstrates that the unusually large size of this exon plays an important role in splicing regulation. The cis-acting sequences essential for Mer1-dependent splicing of MER2 RNA were determined by the analysis of MER2 deletion mutants and hybrid genes. The 80-base MER2 intron is sufficient for Mer1-dependent splicing in vivo, but sequences in the 5' exon enhance splicing efficiency. The Mer1 protein contains the KH motif found in some RNA-binding proteins, and RNA gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that Mer1 binds specifically to MER2 RNA. Both the transcript derived from the intronless MER2 gene and the transcript consisting only of the intron are able to bind to Mer1 in vitro, but neither has as high affinity for the protein as the intact substrate. RNase T1 footprinting indicates that the Mer1 protein contacts MER2 RNA at several points in the 5' exon and in the intron. Thus, Mer1 interacts directly with a regulatory element in MER2 RNA and promotes splicing.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3306
Author(s):  
Aneri Shah ◽  
Jonathan A. Lindquist ◽  
Lars Rosendahl ◽  
Ingo Schmitz ◽  
Peter R. Mertens

YB-1 belongs to the evolutionarily conserved cold-shock domain protein family of RNA binding proteins. YB-1 is a well-known transcriptional and translational regulator, involved in cell cycle progression, DNA damage repair, RNA splicing, and stress responses. Cell stress occurs in many forms, e.g., radiation, hyperthermia, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produced by bacteria, and interferons released in response to viral infection. Binding of the latter factors to their receptors induces kinase activation, which results in the phosphorylation of YB-1. These pathways also activate the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), a well-known transcription factor. NF-κB is upregulated following cellular stress and orchestrates inflammatory responses, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Inflammation and cancer are known to share common mechanisms, such as the recruitment of infiltrating macrophages and development of an inflammatory microenvironment. Several recent papers elaborate the role of YB-1 in activating NF-κB and signaling cell survival. Depleting YB-1 may tip the balance from survival to enhanced apoptosis. Therefore, strategies that target YB-1 might be a viable therapeutic option to treat inflammatory diseases and improve tumor therapy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Miriam C. Aziz ◽  
Patricia N. Schneider ◽  
Gemma L. Carvill

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) describe a subset of neurodevelopmental disorders categorized by refractory epilepsy that is often associated with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. The majority of DEEs are now known to have a genetic basis with de novo coding variants accounting for the majority of cases. More recently, a small number of individuals have been identified with intronic <i>SCN1A</i> variants that result in alternative splicing events that lead to ectopic inclusion of poison exons (PEs). PEs are short highly conserved exons that contain a premature truncation codon, and when spliced into the transcript, lead to premature truncation and subsequent degradation by nonsense-mediated decay. The reason for the inclusion/exclusion of these PEs is not entirely clear, but research suggests an autoregulatory role in gene expression and protein abundance. This is seen in proteins such as RNA-binding proteins and serine/arginine-rich proteins. Recent studies have focused on targeting these PEs as a method for therapeutic intervention. Targeting PEs using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) has shown to be effective in modulating alternative splicing events by decreasing the amount of transcripts harboring PEs, thus increasing the abundance of full-length transcripts and thereby the amount of protein in haploinsufficient genes implicated in DEE. In the age of personalized medicine, cellular and animal models of the genetic epilepsies have become essential in developing and testing novel precision therapeutics, including PE-targeting ASOs in a subset of DEEs.


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