Project description:Although splicing is essential for the expression of most eukaryotic genes, inactivation of splicing factors causes specific defects in mitosis. The molecular cause of this defect is unknown. Here we show that the spliceosome subunits SNW1 and PRPF8 are essential for sister chromatid cohesion in human cells. A transcriptome-wide analysis revealed that SNW1 or PRPF8 depletion affects the splicing of specific introns in a subset of pre-mRNAs, including pre-mRNAs encoding the cohesion protein sororin and the APC/C subunit APC2. SNW1 depletion causes cohesion defects predominantly by reducing sororin levels, which causes destabilisation of cohesin on DNA. SNW1 depletion also reduces APC/C activity and contributes to cohesion defects indirectly by delaying mitosis and causing ‘cohesion fatigue’. Simultaneous expression of sororin and APC2 from intron-less cDNAs restores cohesion in SNW1 depleted cells. These results indicate that the spliceosome is required for mitosis because it enables expression of genes essential for cohesion. Our transcriptome-wide identification of retained introns in SNW1 and PRPF8 depleted cells may help to understand the aetiology of diseases associated with splicing defects, such as retinosa pigmentosum and cancer.
Project description:Although splicing is essential for the expression of most eukaryotic genes, inactivation of splicing factors causes specific defects in mitosis. The molecular cause of this defect is unknown. Here we show that the spliceosome subunits SNW1 and PRPF8 are essential for sister chromatid cohesion in human cells. A transcriptome-wide analysis revealed that SNW1 or PRPF8 depletion affects the splicing of specific introns in a subset of pre-mRNAs, including pre-mRNAs encoding the cohesion protein sororin and the APC/C subunit APC2. SNW1 depletion causes cohesion defects predominantly by reducing sororin levels, which causes destabilisation of cohesin on DNA. SNW1 depletion also reduces APC/C activity and contributes to cohesion defects indirectly by delaying mitosis and causing ‘cohesion fatigue’. Simultaneous expression of sororin and APC2 from intron-less cDNAs restores cohesion in SNW1 depleted cells. These results indicate that the spliceosome is required for mitosis because it enables expression of genes essential for cohesion. Our transcriptome-wide identification of retained introns in SNW1 and PRPF8 depleted cells may help to understand the aetiology of diseases associated with splicing defects, such as retinosa pigmentosum and cancer.
Project description:While intron retention (IR) is now recognized as a widespread and conserved mechanism of gene expression control, its regulation is poorly understood. Here, we identify significantly reduced DNA methylation levels near splice junctions flanking retained introns compared to non-retained introns in diverse primary cells and cell lines. Further, we identify increased IR following inhibition of DNA methylation indicating that reduced DNA methylation promotes IR. We demonstrate reduced occupancy of MeCP2 near the splice junctions of retained introns, mirroring the reduced DNA methylation at these sites. Accordingly, MeCP2 depletion in tissues/cells enhances IR. By analyzing the MeCP2 interactome, we demonstrate that decreased MeCP2 binding near splice junctions facilitates IR via reduced recruitment of the splicing factor, Tra2b, and increased RNA polymerase II stalling. Our study identifies a dynamic interplay between DNA methylation, MeCP2 and splicing factors including Tra2b in IR regulation and provides novel insights into the mechanisms governing splicing.
Project description:Pre-mRNA splicing is a complex and dynamic process that relies on the intricate coordination between a multitude of cis-elements and trans-acting factors. Here, we identify and characterize Silencing Defective 2 (SDE2) as a human RNA binding protein and trans-acting splicing-associated factor required for efficient mRNA processing. In this study, we use Poly(A) purified RNA sequencing to identify the alternative splicing profile in Hela cells following depletion of SDE2 via siRNA. Our data demonstrate that SDE2 depletion causes widespread changes in alternative splicing (AS), with increased intron retention being the most common event. These retained introns are significantly shorter, have a higher GC content, and overall maintain weaker 5' and 3' splice sites than other introns throughout the genome. Following the depletion of SDE2, increased intron retention causes catastrophic consequences for the cell, including defects in mitotic progression, global loss of protein translation, and ultimately, complete loss of cellular viability. Taken together, we define SDE2 as a previously uncharacterized RNA binding protein that functions to regulate pre-mRNA splicing and ensure cellular viability.
Project description:To determine the prevalence of cotranscriptional splicing in Drosophila, we sequenced nascent RNA transcripts from Drosophila S2 cells as well as from Drosophila heads. 87% of introns assayed manifest more than 50% cotranscriptional splicing. The remaining 13% are cotranscriptionally spliced poorly, or slowly, with ~3% being almost completely retained in nascent pre-mRNA. Although individual introns showed slight but statistically significant differences in splicing efficiency, similar global levels of splicing were seen from both sources. Importantly, introns with low cotranscriptional splicing efficiencies are present in the same primary transcript with efficiently spliced introns, indicating that splicing is intron-specific. The analysis also indicates that cotranscriptional splicing is less efficient for first introns, longer introns and introns annotated as alternative. FinallyFinally, S2 cells expressing the slow RpII215C4 mutant manifest substantially less intron retention than wild-type S2 cells. Examination of Total pA and Nascent RNA from 2 different cell populations and isolated fly heads.
Project description:In eukaryotic cells, most introns are degraded soon after splicing in the nucleus but some persist either due to lack of splicing (detained/retained introns) or because they contain important functional elements, for example, sno/scaRNAs. Few introns are detectable outside the nucleus. To hunt for interesting new phenomena in cytoplasmic introns and splicing, we conducted a multimodal study of total RNA within projections (axons, dendrites, glial projections) of rat hippocampal neurons and discovered a class of free circular introns enriched in distal projections.
Project description:To determine the prevalence of cotranscriptional splicing in Drosophila, we sequenced nascent RNA transcripts from Drosophila S2 cells as well as from Drosophila heads. 87% of introns assayed manifest more than 50% cotranscriptional splicing. The remaining 13% are cotranscriptionally spliced poorly, or slowly, with ~3% being almost completely retained in nascent pre-mRNA. Although individual introns showed slight but statistically significant differences in splicing efficiency, similar global levels of splicing were seen from both sources. Importantly, introns with low cotranscriptional splicing efficiencies are present in the same primary transcript with efficiently spliced introns, indicating that splicing is intron-specific. The analysis also indicates that cotranscriptional splicing is less efficient for first introns, longer introns and introns annotated as alternative. FinallyFinally, S2 cells expressing the slow RpII215C4 mutant manifest substantially less intron retention than wild-type S2 cells.
Project description:Circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent an abundant and conserved entity of non-coding RNAs, however the principles of biogenesis are currently not fully understood. To elucidate features important for circRNA production, we performed global analyses of RNA-binding proteins associating with the flanking introns of circRNAs, and we identified two factors, SFPQ and NONO, to be highly enriched with circRNAs. We observe a subclass of circRNAs, coined DALI circRNAs, with distal inverted Alu elements and long introns to be highly deregulated upon SFPQ knockdown. Moreover, SFPQ depletion leads to increased intron retention with concomitant induction of cryptic splicing prevalent for long introns causing in some cases premature transcription termination and polyadenylation. Aberrant splicing in the upstream and downstream regions of circRNA producing exons are critical for shaping the circRNAome, and specifically, we identify a conserved impact of missplicing in the immediate upstream region to drive circRNA biogenesis. Collectively, our data show that SFPQ plays an important role in maintaining intron integrity by ensuring accurate splicing of long introns, and disclose novel features governing Alu-independent circRNA production.