Regulated microexon alternative splicing in single neurons tunes synaptic function

ABSTRACT: Microexon splicing is essential for neuronal development and function, but whether microexons are alternatively-spliced across individual neurons, and if so what are the regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences, is unknown. We globally address this question in C. elegans using deep single-cell transcriptomes and in vivo splicing reporters. We find widespread alternative microexon splicing across neuron types. Focusing on a broadly-conserved 9-nucleotide exon in the synaptic vesicle gene unc-13, we find it is skipped in olfactory neurons, but included in motor neurons. This pattern is established by two neuronal RNA binding proteins which recruit spliceosomal component PRP-40 to mediate microexon inclusion. Cell-specific splicing is functionally important, as forcing microexon incl

SUBMITTER: Bikash Choudhary 

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_1038-S44319-025-00493-7 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other