A saga of cancer epigenetics: linking epigenetics to alternative splicing

2017 ◽  
Vol 474 (6) ◽  
pp. 885-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sathiya Pandi Narayanan ◽  
Smriti Singh ◽  
Sanjeev Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Epigenetic Modifications ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Epigenetic Alterations ◽  
Cancer Epigenetics ◽  
Alternatively Spliced

The discovery of an increasing number of alternative splicing events in the human genome highlighted that ∼94% of genes generate alternatively spliced transcripts that may produce different protein isoforms with diverse functions. It is now well known that several diseases are a direct and indirect consequence of aberrant splicing events in humans. In addition to the conventional mode of alternative splicing regulation by ‘cis’ RNA-binding sites and ‘trans’ RNA-binding proteins, recent literature provides enormous evidence for epigenetic regulation of alternative splicing. The epigenetic modifications may regulate alternative splicing by either influencing the transcription elongation rate of RNA polymerase II or by recruiting a specific splicing regulator via different chromatin adaptors. The epigenetic alterations and aberrant alternative splicing are known to be associated with various diseases individually, but this review discusses/highlights the latest literature on the role of epigenetic alterations in the regulation of alternative splicing and thereby cancer progression. This review also points out the need for further studies to understand the interplay between epigenetic modifications and aberrant alternative splicing in cancer progression.

scholarly journals The Emerging Roles of the RNA Binding Protein QKI in Cardiovascular Development and Function

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinyun Chen ◽  
Jianwen Yin ◽  
Dayan Cao ◽  
Deyong Xiao ◽  
Zhongjun Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Binding Property ◽  
Cardiovascular Development ◽  
Potential Link ◽  
Alternatively Spliced ◽  
Unique Cell ◽  
Carboxy Terminal ◽  
And Function

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have a broad biological and physiological function and are critical in regulating pre-mRNA posttranscriptional processing, intracellular migration, and mRNA stability. QKI, also known as Quaking, is a member of the signal transduction and activation of RNA (STAR) family, which also belongs to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K- (hnRNP K-) homology domain protein family. There are three major alternatively spliced isoforms, QKI-5, QKI-6, and QKI-7, differing in carboxy-terminal domains. They share a common RNA binding property, but each isoform can regulate pre-mRNA splicing, transportation or stability differently in a unique cell type-specific manner. Previously, QKI has been known for its important role in contributing to neurological disorders. A series of recent work has further demonstrated that QKI has important roles in much broader biological systems, such as cardiovascular development, monocyte to macrophage differentiation, bone metabolism, and cancer progression. In this mini-review, we will focus on discussing the emerging roles of QKI in regulating cardiac and vascular development and function and its potential link to cardiovascular pathophysiology.

scholarly journals Neurogenesis: Regulation by Alternative Splicing and Related Posttranscriptional Processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 466-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Lara-Pezzi ◽  
Manuel Desco ◽  
Alberto Gatto ◽  
María Victoria Gómez-Gaviro
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Posttranscriptional Regulation ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Nonsense Mediated Decay

The complexity of the mammalian brain requires highly specialized protein function and diversity. As neurons differentiate and the neuronal circuitry is established, several mRNAs undergo alternative splicing and other posttranscriptional changes that expand the variety of protein isoforms produced. Recent advances are beginning to shed light on the molecular mechanisms that regulate isoform switching during neurogenesis and the role played by specific RNA binding proteins in this process. Neurogenesis and neuronal wiring were recently shown to also be regulated by RNA degradation through nonsense-mediated decay. An additional layer of regulatory complexity in these biological processes is the interplay between alternative splicing and long noncoding RNAs. Dysregulation of posttranscriptional regulation results in defective neuronal differentiation and/or synaptic connections that lead to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.

scholarly journals The CELF Family of RNA Binding Proteins Is Implicated in Cell-Specific and Developmentally Regulated Alternative Splicing

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1285-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea N. Ladd ◽  
Nicolas Charlet-B. ◽  
Thomas A. Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Heart Development ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Developmentally Regulated ◽  
Exon Inclusion

ABSTRACT Alternative splicing of cardiac troponin T (cTNT) exon 5 undergoes a developmentally regulated switch such that exon inclusion predominates in embryonic, but not adult, striated muscle. We previously described four muscle-specific splicing enhancers (MSEs) within introns flanking exon 5 in chicken cTNT that are both necessary and sufficient for exon inclusion in embryonic muscle. We also demonstrated that CUG-binding protein (CUG-BP) binds a conserved CUG motif within a human cTNT MSE and positively regulates MSE-dependent exon inclusion. Here we report that CUG-BP is one of a novel family of developmentally regulated RNA binding proteins that includes embryonically lethal abnormal vision-type RNA binding protein 3 (ETR-3). This family, which we call CELF proteins for CUG-BP- and ETR-3-like factors, specifically bound MSE-containing RNAs in vitro and activated MSE-dependent exon inclusion of cTNT minigenes in vivo. The expression of two CELF proteins is highly restricted to brain. CUG-BP, ETR-3, and CELF4 are more broadly expressed, and expression is developmentally regulated in striated muscle and brain. Changes in the level of expression and isoforms of ETR-3 in two different developmental systems correlated with regulated changes in cTNT splicing. A switch from cTNT exon skipping to inclusion tightly correlated with induction of ETR-3 protein expression during differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts. During heart development, the switch in cTNT splicing correlated with a transition in ETR-3 protein isoforms. We propose that ETR-3 is a major regulator of cTNT alternative splicing and that the CELF family plays an important regulatory role in cell-specific alternative splicing during normal development and disease.

scholarly journals Transformer 2β Regulates the Alternative Splicing of Cell Cycle Regulator Genes to Promote Ovarian Cancer Cell Progression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiying Fu ◽  
Ting Zhou ◽  
Dong Chen ◽  
ShiXuan Wang ◽  
Ronghua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Poor Prognosis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Expression Level

Abstract Background: Late-stage ovarian cancer (OV) has a poor prognosis and a high metastasis rate, but the underlying molecular mechanism is ambiguous. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play important roles in posttranscriptional regulation in the contexts of neoplasia and tumor metastasis. Results: In this study, we explored the molecular functions of a canonical RBP, TRA2B, in cancer cells. TRA2B knockdown in HeLa cells and whole-transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments revealed that the TRA2B-regulated alternative splicing (AS) profile was tightly associated with the mitotic cell cycle, apoptosis, and several cancer pathways. Moreover, hundreds of genes were regulated by TRA2B at the expression level, and their functions were enriched in cell proliferation, cell adhesion and angiogenesis, which are related to cancer progression. We also observed that AS regulation and expression regulation occurred independently by integrating the alternatively spliced and differentially expressed genes. We then explored and validated the carcinogenic functions of TRA2B by knocking down its expression in OV cells. In vivo, a high expression level of TRA2B was associated with a poor prognosis in OV patients. Conclusions: We demonstrated the important roles of TRA2B in ovarian neoplasia and OV progression and identified the underlying molecular mechanisms, facilitating the targeted treatment of OV in the future.

Stage-Specific Switches in Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing during Late Erythropoiesis Are Conserved from Mouse to Human

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 531-531
Author(s):  
Sherry Gee ◽  
Jonathan Villalobos ◽  
Miki Yamamoto ◽  
Tyson A. Clark ◽  
Jeong-Ah Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Mrna Splicing ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Erythroid Progenitors ◽  
Mrna Isoforms ◽  
Stop Codons ◽  
Primary Mouse

Abstract Spatial and temporal regulation of alternative pre-mRNA splicing determines which exons are incorporated into mature mRNA, modulating mRNA coding capacity to ensure synthesis of appropriate protein isoforms throughout normal differentiation and development. During erythropoiesis, a stage-specific switch in pre-mRNA splicing activates incorporation of protein 4.1R exon 16, thereby increasing 4.1R affinity for spectrin and actin and mechanically strengthening red blood cell membranes. We are exploring the hypothesis that stage-specific changes in pre-mRNA splicing regulate expression of other critical genes during terminal erythropoiesis. Last year we described exon microarray and RT-PCR studies that revealed several novel pre-mRNA splicing switches in terminally differentiating human erythroid progenitors. These alternative splicing events involved well-annotated exons with consensus exon-intron boundaries, supporting a model in which these events represent a regulated alternative splicing program rather than a breakdown of splicing integrity in late erythropoiesis. Here we report additional evidence for this model by showing that several erythroid stage-specific switches in alternative pre-mRNA splicing are conserved between human and mouse. Primary mouse splenic erythroblasts from FVA-infected mice were cultured in vitro under differentiation conditions and used as the source of RNA for analysis of murine erythroid splicing events. From a total of seven internal cassette exons whose splicing was activated in late human erythroblasts, five exhibited an analogous splicing switch in murine erythroblasts. Comparative genomic analysis showed that these alternative exons are embedded in regions of unusually high sequence conservation among vertebrate species, suggesting that important regulatory signals are contained within the adjacent introns. Indeed, the flanking introns for several of these exons contain binding motifs for Fox2, an RNA binding protein and known splicing regulator for many tissue-specific splicing events. Further analysis of the conserved erythroid splicing events revealed the following: three splicing switches occur in transcripts encoding RNA binding proteins (MBNL2, HNRPLL, and SNRP70), suggesting significant changes in the RNA processing machinery of late erythroblasts; and three of these alternative exons encode premature stop codons that could induce nonsense mediated decay (NMD) and contribute to down-regulation of these genes during terminal erythropoiesis. Consistent with the latter hypothesis, inhibition of NMD in murine erythroblast cultures led to increased accumulation of mRNA isoforms containing the premature stop codons. Together these results suggest the existence of a highly regulated alternative splicing program that is critical for late erythroid differentiation.

scholarly journals PTBP1 mRNA isoforms and regulation of their translation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa M Arake de Tacca ◽  
Mia C Pulos ◽  
Stephen N Floor ◽  
Jamie Cate
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Translation Initiation Factor ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Mrna Isoforms

Polypyrimidine tract-binding proteins (PTBPs) are RNA binding proteins that regulate a number of post-transcriptional events. Human PTBP1 transits between the nucleus and cytoplasm and is thought to regulate RNA processes in both. However, information about PTBP1 mRNA isoforms and regulation of PTPB1 expression remain incomplete. Here we mapped the major PTBP1 mRNA isoforms in HEK293T cells, and identified alternative 5' and 3' untranslated regions (5' UTRs, 3' UTRs) as well as alternative splicing patterns in the protein coding region. We also assessed how the observed PTBP1 mRNA isoforms contribute to PTBP1 expression in different phases of the cell cycle. Previously, PTBP1 mRNAs were shown to crosslink to eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3). We find that eIF3 binds differently to each PTBP1 mRNA isoform in a cell cycle-dependent manner. We also observe a strong correlation between eIF3 binding to PTBP1 mRNAs and repression of PTBP1 levels during the S phase of the cell cycle. Our results provide evidence of translational regulation of PTBP1 protein levels during the cell cycle, which may affect downstream regulation of alternative splicing and translation mediated by PTBP1 protein isoforms.

scholarly journals Regulation of Neuronal Differentiation, Function, and Plasticity by Alternative Splicing

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 451-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Furlanis ◽  
Peter Scheiffele
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Neuronal Cell ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Network Function ◽  
Self Recognition ◽  
Key Steps

Posttranscriptional mechanisms provide powerful means to expand the coding power of genomes. In nervous systems, alternative splicing has emerged as a fundamental mechanism not only for the diversification of protein isoforms but also for the spatiotemporal control of transcripts. Thus, alternative splicing programs play instructive roles in the development of neuronal cell type–specific properties, neuronal growth, self-recognition, synapse specification, and neuronal network function. Here we discuss the most recent genome-wide efforts on mapping RNA codes and RNA-binding proteins for neuronal alternative splicing regulation. We illustrate how alternative splicing shapes key steps of neuronal development, neuronal maturation, and synaptic properties. Finally, we highlight efforts to dissect the spatiotemporal dynamics of alternative splicing and their potential contribution to neuronal plasticity and the mature nervous system.

scholarly journals RNA Binding Protein Ptbp2 Is Essential for Male Germ Cell Development

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (23) ◽  
pp. 4030-4042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah L. Zagore ◽  
Sarah E. Grabinski ◽  
Thomas J. Sweet ◽  
Molly M. Hannigan ◽  
R. Michael Sramkoski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Germ Cell ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Splicing Regulation ◽  
Germ Cell Development ◽  
Splicing Regulator ◽  
Alternatively Spliced

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are increasingly recognized as essential factors in tissue development and homeostasis. The polypyrimidine tract binding (PTB) protein family of RBPs are important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. In the nervous system, the function and importance of PTB protein 2 (Ptbp2) as a key alternative splicing regulator is well established. Ptbp2 is also abundantly expressed during spermatogenesis, but its role in this developmental program has not been explored. Additionally, the importance of alternative splicing regulation in spermatogenesis is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Ptbp2 is essential for spermatogenesis. We also describe an improved dual fluorescence flow cytometry strategy to discriminate, quantify, and collect germ cells in different stages of development. Using this approach, in combination with traditional histological methods, we show that Ptbp2 ablation results in germ cell loss due to increased apoptosis of meiotic spermatocytes and postmeiotic arrest of spermatid differentiation. Furthermore, we show that Ptbp2 is required for alternative splicing regulation in the testis, as in brain. Strikingly, not all of the alternatively spliced RNAs examined were sensitive to Ptbp2 loss in both tissues. Collectively, the data provide evidence for an important role for alternative splicing regulation in germ cell development and a central role for Ptbp2 in this process.

scholarly journals Distribution of alternative untranslated regions within the mRNA of the CELF1 splicing factor affects its expression

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Kajdasz ◽  
Daria Niewiadomska ◽  
Michal Sekrecki ◽  
Krzysztof Sobczak
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Striated Muscle ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Untranslated Regions ◽  
Splicing Isoforms

AbstractCUG-binding protein, ELAV-like Family Member 1 (CELF1) plays an important role during the development of different tissues, such as striated muscle and brain tissue. CELF1 is an RNA-binding protein that regulates RNA metabolism processes, e.g., alternative splicing, and antagonizes other RNA-binding proteins, such as Muscleblind-like proteins (MBNLs). Abnormal activity of both classes of proteins plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. In this work, we show that alternative splicing of exons forming both the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of CELF1 mRNA is efficiently regulated during development and tissue differentiation and is disrupted in skeletal muscles in the context of DM1. Alternative splicing of the CELF1 5′UTR leads to translation of two potential protein isoforms that differ in the lengths of their N-terminal domains. We also show that the MBNL and CELF proteins regulate the distribution of mRNA splicing isoforms with different 5′UTRs and 3′UTRs and affect the CELF1 expression by changing its sensitivity to specific microRNAs or RNA-binding proteins. Together, our findings show the existence of different mechanisms of regulation of CELF1 expression through the distribution of various 5′ and 3′ UTR isoforms within CELF1 mRNA.

scholarly journals Splicing-associated chromatin signatures: a combinatorial and position-dependent role for histone marks in splicing definition

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Agirre ◽  
A. J. Oldfield ◽  
N. Bellora ◽  
A. Segelle ◽  
R. F. Luco
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Splicing ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Chromatin Modifications ◽  
Histone Marks ◽  
Splicing Regulators ◽  
Machine Learning Approach ◽  
Alternatively Spliced ◽  
Rna Motif ◽  
Regulation Changes

AbstractAlternative splicing relies on the combinatorial recruitment of splicing regulators to specific RNA binding sites. Chromatin has been shown to impact this recruitment. However, a limited number of histone marks have been studied at a global level. In this work, a machine learning approach, applied to extensive epigenomics datasets in human H1 embryonic stem cells and IMR90 foetal fibroblasts, has identified eleven chromatin modifications that differentially mark alternatively spliced exons depending on the level of exon inclusion. These marks act in a combinatorial and position-dependent way, creating characteristic splicing-associated chromatin signatures (SACS). In support of a functional role for SACS in coordinating splicing regulation, changes in the alternative splicing of SACS-marked exons between ten different cell lines correlate with changes in SACS enrichment levels and recruitment of the splicing regulators predicted by RNA motif search analysis. We propose the dynamic nature of chromatin modifications as a mechanism to rapidly fine-tune alternative splicing when necessary.

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