Project description:Diseases caused by mutations in components of the minor spliceosome frequently result in primordial dwarfism, where the limbs are stunted in size but retain pattern. We therefore sought to determine the role of the minor splieceosome in limb development by ablating an essential component, Rnu11, which encodes the U11 snRNA, in the mouse limb bud through Prrx1-Cre. We found that loss of U11 results in severe reduction in limb size at birth. However, mutant limbs retain proximo-distal patterning. Thus, we performed total RNAseq at E10.5 and E11.5 for both WT and mutant forelimb and hindlimb to determine the underlying molecular consequence of U11 loss and its effect on gene expression in the developing limb.
Project description:U12-type introns were originally recognized based on their highly conserved non-consensus AT-AC termini1,2, which are spliced by a separate minor spliceosome3,4. Padgett and Krainer groups later showed that terminal dinucleotides do not differentiate U12-type from U2-type introns, as there are U12-type introns with GT-AG termini and U2-type introns with AT-AC termini5,6. Rather, U12-type introns are recognized by their divergent and highly conserved 5’ splice site (5’ss) and branch point sequences, which both differ from the consensus sequences found in U2-type introns. To date, no functional differences have been ascribed to AT-AC or GT-AG subtypes of U12-type introns, nor have RNAseq analyses of minor spliceosome diseases reported any subtype specificity. Here, we describe a novel protein component of the minor spliceosome, encoded by the CENATAC locus, that is required for accurate splicing of AT-AC but not GT-AG type minor introns. CENATAC was initially identified in a subset of Mosaic Variegated Aneuploidy (MVA) patients with mutations in CENATAC, which lead to chromosome congression defects during mitosis. Earlier large-scale proteomic analyses tentatively classified CENATAC as a spliceosome component and phylogenetic analyses showed co-segregation of CENATAC with minor spliceosome components. Targeted depletion of CENATAC in HeLa cells, followed by RNAseq revealed global retention of AT-AC minor subtype introns with more than 60% showing statistically significant (up to 90%) intron retention (IR). Additionally, U12-type introns with 5’-AT, but divergent 3’-terminal dinucleotides also showed significant IR. We also detected cryptic U2-type splice site activation near affected AT-AC introns. In contrast, about 10% of GT-AG subtype introns responded to CENATAC depletion. Co-IP experiments revealed that CENATAC is not a U11/U12 di-snRNP component as expected for a specificity factor, but rather associates with the U4atac/U6atac.U5 tri-snRNP via interaction with PRPF3/4, suggesting a role for minor tri-snRNP in initial 5’ss recognition. CENATAC also interacts with TXNL4B, a paralog of TXNL4A in the major tri-snRNP. Finally, several genes encoding chromosome congression factors harbor U12 AT-AC-type introns that were highly retained in CENATAC depleted cells, potentially explaining the aneuploidy phenotype observed in MVA patients.
Project description:Mutations in minor spliceosome components are linked to diseases such as Roifman syndrome, Lowry-Wood syndrome, and early-onset cerebellar ataxia (EOCA). Here we report that besides increased minor intron retention, Roifman syndrome and EOCA can also be characterized by elevated alternative splicing (AS) around minor introns. Consistent with the idea that the assembly/activity of the minor spliceosome informs AS in minor intron-containing genes (MIGs), inhibition of all minor spliceosome snRNAs led to upregulated AS. Notably, alternatively spliced MIG isoforms were bound to polysomes in the U11-null dorsal telencephalon, which suggested that aberrant MIG protein expression could contribute to disease pathogenesis. In agreement, expression of an aberrant isoform of the MIG Dctn3 by in utero electroporation, affected radial glial cell divisions. Finally, we show that AS around minor introns is executed by the major spliceosome and is regulated by U11-59K of the minor spliceosome, which forms exon-bridging interactions with proteins of the major spliceosome. Overall, we extend the exon-definition model to MIGs and postulate that disruptions of exon-bridging interactions might contribute to disease severity and pathogenesis.
Project description:Mutations in minor spliceosome components are linked to diseases such as Roifman syndrome, Lowry-Wood syndrome, and early-onset cerebellar ataxia (EOCA). Here we report that besides increased minor intron retention, Roifman syndrome and EOCA can also be characterized by elevated alternative splicing (AS) around minor introns. Consistent with the idea that the assembly/activity of the minor spliceosome informs AS in minor intron-containing genes (MIGs), inhibition of all minor spliceosome snRNAs led to upregulated AS. Notably, alternatively spliced MIG isoforms were bound to polysomes in the U11-null dorsal telencephalon, which suggested that aberrant MIG protein expression could contribute to disease pathogenesis. In agreement, expression of an aberrant isoform of the MIG Dctn3 by in utero electroporation, affected radial glial cell divisions. Finally, we show that AS around minor introns is executed by the major spliceosome and is regulated by U11-59K of the minor spliceosome, which forms exon-bridging interactions with proteins of the major spliceosome. Overall, we extend the exon-definition model to MIGs and postulate that disruptions of exon-bridging interactions might contribute to disease severity and pathogenesis.
Project description:We identify RBM41 as a novel unique protein component of the minor spliceosome. RBM41 has no previously recognized cellular function but has been identified as a paralog of the U11/U12-65K protein, a known unique component of the minor spliceosome that functions during the early steps of minor intron recognition as a component of the U11/U12 di-snRNP. We show that both proteins use their highly similar C-terminal RRMs to bind to 3'-terminal stem-loops in U12 and U6atac snRNAs with comparable affinity. Our BioID data indicate that the unique N-terminal domain of RBM41 is necessary for its association with complexes containing DHX8, an RNA helicase, which in the major spliceosome drives the release of mature mRNA from the spliceosome. Consistently, we show that RBM41 associates with excised U12-type intron lariats, is present in the U12 mono-snRNP, and is enriched in Cajal bodies, together suggesting that RBM41 functions in the post-splicing steps of the minor spliceosome assembly/disassembly cycle. This contrasts with the U11/U12-65K protein, which uses the N-terminal region to interact with U11 snRNP during the intron recognition step. Finally, we show that while RBM41 knockout cells are viable, they show alterations in the splicing of U12-type introns, particularly differential U12-type 3' splice site usage. Together, our results highlight the role 3’-terminal stem-loop of U12 snRNA as a dynamic binding platform for the paralogous U11/U12-65K and RBM41 proteins, which function at distinct stages of minor spliceosome assembly/disassembly cycle.
Project description:Aneuploidy is the leading cause of miscarriage and congenital birth defects, and a hallmark of cancer. Despite this strong association with human disease, the genetic causes of aneuploidy remain largely unknown. Through exome sequencing of patients with constitutional mosaic aneuploidy, we identified biallelic truncating mutations in CENATAC (CCDC84). We show that CENATAC is a novel component of the minor (U12-dependent) spliceosome that promotes splicing of a specific, rare minor intron subtype. This subtype is characterized by AT-AN splice sites and relatively high basal levels of intron retention. CENATAC depletion or expression of disease mutants resulted in excessive retention of AT-AN minor introns in ~100 genes enriched for nucleocytoplasmic transport and cell cycle regulators, and caused chromosome segregation errors. Our findings reveal selectivity in minor intron splicing and suggest a link between minor spliceosome defects and constitutional aneuploidy in humans.
Project description:Inactivation of the minor spliceosome has been linked to microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type 1 (MOPD1). To interrogate how minor intron splicing regulates cortical development, we employed Emx1-Cre to ablate Rnu11, which encodes the minor spliceosome-specific U11 small nuclear RNA (snRNA), in the developing cortex (pallium). Rnu11 cKO mice were born with microcephaly, caused by death of self-amplifying radial glial cells (RGCs). However, both intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) and neurons were produced in the U11-null pallium. RNAseq of the pallium revealed elevated minor intron retention in the mutant, particularly in genes regulating cell cycle. Moreover, the only downregulated minor intron-containing gene (MIG) was Spc24, which regulates kinetochore assembly. These findings were consistent with the observation of fewer RGCs entering cytokinesis prior to RGC loss, underscoring the requirement of minor splicing for cell cycle progression in RGCs. Overall, we provide a potential explanation of how disruption of minor splicing might cause microcephaly in MOPD1.
Project description:In this work, we identify RBM41 as a novel unique protein component of the minor spliceosome. RBM41 has no previously recognized cellular function but has been identified as a paralog of the U11/U12-65K protein, a known unique component of the minor spliceosome that functions during the early steps of minor intron recognition as a component of the U11/U12 di-snRNP. We show that both proteins use their highly similar C-terminal RRMs to bind to 3'-terminal stem-loops in U12 and U6atac snRNAs with comparable affinity. Our BioID data indicate that the unique N-terminal domain of RBM41 is necessary for its association with complexes containing DHX8, an RNA helicase, which in the major spliceosome drives the release of mature mRNA from the spliceosome.