Project description:Alternative splicing contributes to gene expression dynamics in many tissues, yet its role in auditory development remains unclear. We performed whole exome sequencing in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and identified pathogenic mutations in Epithelial Splicing Regulatory Protein 1 (ESRP1). Patient derived induced pluripotent stem cells showed alternative splicing defects consistent with impaired ESRP1 function. To determine how mutations in ESRP1 cause hearing loss we evaluated Esrp1-/- mouse embryos and uncovered alterations in cochlear morphogenesis, auditory hair cell differentiation and cell fate specification. Transcriptome analysis revealed impaired expression and splicing of genes with essential roles in inner ear development and auditory function. In particular, aberrant splicing of Fgfr2 blocked stria vascularis formation due to erroneous ligand usage, which was corrected by reducing Fgf9 gene dosage. These findings implicate mutations in ESRP1 as a novel cause of SNHL and demonstrate the complex interplay between alternative splicing, inner ear development, and auditory function.
Project description:Epithelial specific splicing regulatory protein 1 and 2 (ESRP1 and ESRP2) are important regulators of alternative splicing during EMT. To study the alternative splicing events regulated by ESRP1/2 at a genome wide scale, we used lentiviral shRNAs to knockdown ESRP1/2 in H358 cells and performed RNA-seq in biological triplicates. We used lentiviral based shRNAs targeting ESRP1 and ESRP2 to knockdown both regulators in human H358 cells. We harvested total RNA and protein from ESRP1/2 knockdown and control knockdown in biological triplicates. We made cDNA libraries for each replicate and subjected them to RNA-seq.
Project description:Pnn depletion in developing mouse corneal epithelium led to disrupted alternative splicing of multiple ESRP-regulated epithelial-type exons. In human corneal epithelial cells (HCET), ESRP1 and PNN displayed close localization in and around nuclear speckles and their physical association in protein complexes was identified. In this study, gene expression profiling was performed to identify PNN- and ESRP1-regulated alternative pre-mRNA splicing in human corneal epithelial cells. Immortalized human corneal epithelial cells harboring doxycycline-inducible shRNA against PNN or ESRP1 were created. Whole transcriptome array analysis on ESRP1 or PNN knockdown HCET cells revealed clear alterations in transcript level and splicing pattern of specific subsets of genes with significant overlaps in their candidate targets. Our data suggest that ESRP1 and PNN modulate alternative splicing of a specific subset of exons, but not general splicing events. ESRP1 and PNN may together participate in the regulation of epithelial-specific splicing program in a genome-wide fashion. Parental HCET, shRNA-PNN HCET, and shRNA-ESRP1 HCET cells were cultured for 3 days with/without doxycycline. Total RNA was isolated from four biological replicates of each sample group and then subjected to hGlue3_0 transcriptome array analysis.
Project description:Epithelial specific splicing regulatory protein 1 and 2 (ESRP1 and ESRP2) are important regulators of alternative splicing during EMT. To study the alternative splicing events regulated by ESRP1/2 at a genome wide scale, we used lentiviral shRNAs to knockdown ESRP1/2 in H358 cells and performed RNA-seq in biological triplicates.
Project description:Pnn depletion in developing mouse corneal epithelium led to disrupted alternative splicing of multiple ESRP-regulated epithelial-type exons. In human corneal epithelial cells (HCET), ESRP1 and PNN displayed close localization in and around nuclear speckles and their physical association in protein complexes was identified. In this study, gene expression profiling was performed to identify PNN- and ESRP1-regulated alternative pre-mRNA splicing in human corneal epithelial cells. Immortalized human corneal epithelial cells harboring doxycycline-inducible shRNA against PNN or ESRP1 were created. Whole transcriptome array analysis on ESRP1 or PNN knockdown HCET cells revealed clear alterations in transcript level and splicing pattern of specific subsets of genes with significant overlaps in their candidate targets. Our data suggest that ESRP1 and PNN modulate alternative splicing of a specific subset of exons, but not general splicing events. ESRP1 and PNN may together participate in the regulation of epithelial-specific splicing program in a genome-wide fashion.
Project description:This study demonstrates the baseline data of gradient gene expression in the cochlea. Especially for genes whose mutations cause autosomal dominant non syndromic hearing loss (Pou4f3, Slc17a8, Tmc1, and Crym) as well as genes important for cochlear function (Emilin-2 and Tectb), gradual expression changes help to explain the various pathological conditions.
Project description:The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental developmental process that is abnormally activated in cancer metastasis. Dynamic changes in alternative splicing occur during EMT. ESRP1 and hnRNPM are splicing regulators that promote an epithelial splicing program and a mesenchymal splicing program, respectively. The functional relationships between these splicing factors in the genome-scale remain elusive. Comparing alternative splicing targets of hnRNPM and ESRP1 revealed that they co-regulate a set of cassette exon events, with the majority showing discordant splicing regulation. hnRNPM discordantly regulated splicing events show a positive correlation with splicing during EMT while concordant splicing events do not, highlighting the antagonistic role of hnRNPM and ESRP1 during EMT. Motif enrichment analysis near co-regulated exons identifies guanine-uridine rich motifs downstream of hnRNPM-repressed and ESRP1-enhanced exons, supporting a model of competitive binding to these cis-elements to antagonize alternative splicing. The set of co-regulated exons are enriched in genes associated with cell-migration and cytoskeletal reorganization, which are pathways associated with EMT. Splicing levels of co-regulated exons are associated with breast cancer patient survival and correlate with gene sets involved in EMT and breast cancer subtypes. In conclusion, hnRNPM and ESRP1 co-regulate antagonistically a set of alternative splicing events that occur during EMT. This regulation is likely mediated through competition for the same intronic binding sites downstream of variable exons. hnRNPM and ESRP1 regulated splicing events are associated with breast cancer survival.
Project description:RNA-binding proteins and their mediated alternative splicing play important roles in tumor cell invasion and migration. Here, we report that ESRP1 is a key regulator of gastric cancer cell metastasis. Overexpression of ESRP1 inhibits the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells, in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we found that ESRP1 causes a wide range of alternative splicing events, and ESRP1-mediated CLSTN1 exon skipping may be a key mechanism for its inhibition of gastric cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Taken together, our data provide a molecular framework for the role of ESRP1 in gastric cancer development.
Project description:Tissue- and cell-type specific regulators of alternative splicing (AS) are an essential layer of posttranscriptional gene regulation necessary for normal cellular function, patterning, and development. Here we report the Epithelial splicing regulatory proteins (Esrps) are required for patterning of multiple organs, with loss of both paralogs, Esrp1 and Esrp2, resulting in increasingly severe phenotypes. Global profiling of the Esrp splicing regulatory network from total epidermis revealed varied splicing sensitivity of Esrp targets upon loss of Esrp1 or double knockout. This may explain the progressive phenotypes seen in Esrp knockout mice, and these mice provide a unique genetic tool to evaluate functional consequences of epithelial splicing events in vivo. RNA from purified total epidermis (basal keratinocyte layer to cornified layer) of E18.5 mouse embryos were harvested by Trizol extraction. (Esrp1+/+, Esrp2-/- (n=2), Esrp1-/-, Esrp2+/+ (n=3), Esrp1-/-, Esrp2+/- (n=2), and Esrp1-/-, Esrp2-/- (n=2). 1 ug of total RNA was used for for RNA-seq library preparation using the TruSeq™ Stranded mRNA LT Sample Prep Kit (Illumina). 100x2 bp paired-end RNA-seq reads were generated on a HiSeq 2000 sequencer.
Project description:Alternative splicing (AS) plays a critical role in cell fate transitions, development and disease. Recent studies have shown that AS also influences pluripotency and somatic cell reprogramming. We profiled transcriptome-wide AS changes that occur during reprogramming of fibroblasts to pluripotency. This analysis revealed distinct phases of AS during reprogramming, including a splicing program that is unique to transgene-independent iPS cells. Changes in the expression of alternative splicing factors Zcchc24, Esrp1, Mbnl1/2 and Rbm47 were demonstrated to be key contributors to phase-specific AS. RNA binding motif enrichment analysis near alternatively spliced exons provided further insight into the combinatorial regulation of AS during reprogramming by different RNA binding proteins. Ectopic expression of Esrp1 enhanced reprogramming, in part by modulating the AS of the epithelial specific transcription factor Grhl1.These data represent a comprehensive temporal analysis of the dynamic regulation of AS during the acquisition of pluripotency. ES cells from 3 independent E3.5 blastocysts from either Control (Esrp1 WT/WT; Esrp2 -/-) or Esrp DKO (Esrp1 floxed/floxed; Esrp2 -/-) were transfected with pLVX-EGFP-Cre, puro selected and RNA was isolated 6 days later.