Rbfox3-regulated alternative splicing of Numb promotes neuronal differentiation during development.

ABSTRACT: Alternative premRNA splicing is a major mechanism to generate diversity of gene products. However, the biological roles of alternative splicing during development remain elusive. Here, we focus on a neuron-specific RNA-binding protein, Rbfox3, recently identified as the antigen of the widely used anti-NeuN antibody. siRNA-mediated loss-of-function studies using the developing chicken spinal cord revealed that Rbfox3 is required to promote neuronal differentiation of postmitotic neurons. Numb premRNA encoding a signaling adaptor protein was found to be a target of Rbfox3 action, and Rbfox3 repressed the inclusion of an alternative exon via binding to the conserved UGCAUG element in the upstream intron. Depleting a specific Numb splice isoform reproduced similar neuronal differentiation defe

SUBMITTER: Kim KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3575530 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature