scholarly journals A Splice Site Mutant of Maize Activates Cryptic Splice Sites, Elicits Intron Inclusion and Exon Exclusion, and Permits Branch Point Elucidation

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shailesh Lal ◽  
Jae-Hyuk Choi ◽  
Janine R. Shaw ◽  
L. Curtis Hannah
1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 7445-7454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Dominski ◽  
R Kole

Certain thalassemic human beta-globin pre-mRNAs carry mutations that generate aberrant splice sites and/or activate cryptic splice sites, providing a convenient and clinically relevant system to study splice site selection. Antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides were used to block a number of sequences in these pre-mRNAs and were tested for their ability to inhibit splicing in vitro or to affect the ratio between aberrantly and correctly spliced products. By this approach, it was found that (i) up to 19 nucleotides upstream from the branch point adenosine are involved in proper recognition and functioning of the branch point sequence; (ii) whereas at least 25 nucleotides of exon sequences at both 3' and 5' ends are required for splicing, this requirement does not extend past the 5' splice site sequence of the intron; and (iii) improving the 5' splice site of the internal exon to match the consensus sequence strongly decreases the accessibility of the upstream 3' splice site to antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides. This result most likely reflects changes in the strength of interactions near the 3' splice site in response to improvement of the 5' splice site and further supports the existence of communication between these sites across the exon.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 7445-7454
Author(s):  
Z Dominski ◽  
R Kole

Certain thalassemic human beta-globin pre-mRNAs carry mutations that generate aberrant splice sites and/or activate cryptic splice sites, providing a convenient and clinically relevant system to study splice site selection. Antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides were used to block a number of sequences in these pre-mRNAs and were tested for their ability to inhibit splicing in vitro or to affect the ratio between aberrantly and correctly spliced products. By this approach, it was found that (i) up to 19 nucleotides upstream from the branch point adenosine are involved in proper recognition and functioning of the branch point sequence; (ii) whereas at least 25 nucleotides of exon sequences at both 3' and 5' ends are required for splicing, this requirement does not extend past the 5' splice site sequence of the intron; and (iii) improving the 5' splice site of the internal exon to match the consensus sequence strongly decreases the accessibility of the upstream 3' splice site to antisense 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides. This result most likely reflects changes in the strength of interactions near the 3' splice site in response to improvement of the 5' splice site and further supports the existence of communication between these sites across the exon.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 966-972
Author(s):  
C Montell ◽  
E F Fisher ◽  
M H Caruthers ◽  
A J Berk

The primary transcript from adenovirus 2 early region 1B (E1B) is processed by differential RNA splicing into two overlapping mRNAs, 13S and 22S. The 22S mRNA is the major E1B mRNA during the early phase of infection, whereas the 13S mRNA predominates during the late phase. In previous work, it has been shown that this shift in proportions of the E1B mRNAs is influenced by increased cytoplasmic stability of the 13S mRNA at late times in infection. Two observations presented here demonstrate that the increase in proportion of the 13S mRNA at late times is also regulated by a change in the specificity of RNA splicing. First, the relative concentrations of the 13S to 22S nuclear RNAs were not constant throughout infection but increased at late times. Secondly, studies with the mutant, adenovirus 2 pm2250 , provided evidence that there was an increased propensity to utilize a 5' splice in the region of the 13S 5' splice site at late times in infection. Adenovirus 2 pm2250 has a G----C transversion in the first base of E1B 13S mRNA intron preventing splicing of the 13S mRNA but not of the 22S mRNA. During the early phase of a pm2250 infection, the E1B primary transcripts were processed into the 22S mRNA only. However, during the late phase, when the 13S mRNA normally predominates, E1B primary transcripts were also processed by RNA splicing at two formerly unused or cryptic 5' splice sites. Both cryptic splice sites were located much closer to the disrupted 13S 5' splice site than to the 22S 5' splice site. Thus, the temporal increase in proportion of the 13S mRNA to the 22S mRNA is regulated by two processes, an increase in cytoplasmic stability of the 13S mRNA and an increased propensity to utilize the 13S 5' splice site during the late phase of infection. Adenovirus 2 pm2250 was not defective for productive infection of HeLa cells or for transformation of rat cells.


2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 2237-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushma-Nagaraja Grellscheid ◽  
Christopher W. J. Smith

ABSTRACT Pseudo-exons are intronic sequences that are flanked by apparent consensus splice sites but that are not observed in spliced mRNAs. Pseudo-exons are often difficult to activate by mutation and have typically been viewed as a conceptual challenge to our understanding of how the spliceosome discriminates between authentic and cryptic splice sites. We have analyzed an apparent pseudo-exon located downstream of mutually exclusive exons 2 and 3 of the rat α-tropomyosin (TM) gene. The TM pseudo-exon is conserved among mammals and has a conserved profile of predicted splicing enhancers and silencers that is more typical of a genuine exon than a pseudo-exon. Splicing of the pseudo-exon is fully activated for splicing to exon 3 by a number of simple mutations. Splicing of the pseudo-exon to exon 3 is predicted to lead to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). In contrast, when “prespliced” to exon 2 it follows a “zero length exon” splicing pathway in which a newly generated 5′ splice site at the junction with exon 2 is spliced to exon 4. We propose that a subset of apparent pseudo-exons, as exemplified here, are actually authentic alternative exons whose inclusion leads to NMD.


2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (03) ◽  
pp. 585-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeling Lu ◽  
Yufeng Ruan ◽  
Qiulan Ding ◽  
Xuefeng Wang ◽  
Xiaodong Xi ◽  
...  

SummaryMutations affecting splice sites comprise approximately 7.5 % of the known F8 gene mutations but only a few were verified at mRNA level. In the present study, 10 putative splice site mutations were characterised by mRNA analysis using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and co-amplification fluorescent PCR were used in combination to quantify the amount of each of multiple F8 transcripts. All of the mutations resulted in aberrant splicing. One of them (c.6187+1del1) generated one form of F8 transcript with exon skipping, and the remaining nine mutations (c.602-6T>C, c.1752+5_1752+6insGTTAG, c.1903+5G>A, c.5219+3A>G, c.5586+3A>T, c.969A>T, c.265+4A>G, c.601+1_601+5del5 and c.1444-8_1444del9) produced multiple F8 transcripts with exon skipping, activation of cryptic splice site and/or normal splicing. Residual wild-type F8 transcripts were produced by the first six of the nine mutations with amounts of 3.9 %>, 14.2 %>, 5.2 %>, 19.2 %>, 1.8 °% and 2.5 %> of normal levels, respectively, which were basically consistent with coagulation phenotypes in the related patients. In comparison with the mRNA findings, software Alamut v2.3 had values in the prediction of pathogenic effects on native splice sites but was not reliable in the prediction of activation of cryptic splice sites. Our quantification of F8 transcripts may provide an alternative way to evaluate the low expression levels of residue wild-type F8 transcripts and help to explain the severity of haemophilia A caused by splicing site mutations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 2193-2199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Mayerle ◽  
Samira Yitiz ◽  
Cameron Soulette ◽  
Lucero E. Rogel ◽  
Andrea Ramirez ◽  
...  

Pre-mRNA splicing must occur with extremely high fidelity. Spliceosomes assemble onto pre-mRNA guided by specific sequences (5′ splice site, 3′ splice site, and branchpoint). When splice sites are mutated, as in many hereditary diseases, the spliceosome can aberrantly select nearby pseudo- or “cryptic” splice sites, often resulting in nonfunctional protein. How the spliceosome distinguishes authentic splice sites from cryptic splice sites is poorly understood. We performed aCaenorhabditis elegansgenetic screen to find cellular factors that affect the frequency with which the spliceosome uses cryptic splice sites and identified two alleles in core spliceosome component Prp8 that alter cryptic splicing frequency. Subsequent complementary genetic and structural analyses in yeast implicate these alleles in the stability of the spliceosome’s catalytic core. However, despite a clear effect on cryptic splicing, high-throughput mRNA sequencing of theseprp-8mutantC. elegansreveals that overall alternative splicing patterns are relatively unchanged. Our data suggest the spliceosome evolved intrinsic mechanisms to reduce the occurrence of cryptic splicing and that these mechanisms are distinct from those that impact alternative splicing.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 966-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Montell ◽  
E F Fisher ◽  
M H Caruthers ◽  
A J Berk

The primary transcript from adenovirus 2 early region 1B (E1B) is processed by differential RNA splicing into two overlapping mRNAs, 13S and 22S. The 22S mRNA is the major E1B mRNA during the early phase of infection, whereas the 13S mRNA predominates during the late phase. In previous work, it has been shown that this shift in proportions of the E1B mRNAs is influenced by increased cytoplasmic stability of the 13S mRNA at late times in infection. Two observations presented here demonstrate that the increase in proportion of the 13S mRNA at late times is also regulated by a change in the specificity of RNA splicing. First, the relative concentrations of the 13S to 22S nuclear RNAs were not constant throughout infection but increased at late times. Secondly, studies with the mutant, adenovirus 2 pm2250 , provided evidence that there was an increased propensity to utilize a 5' splice in the region of the 13S 5' splice site at late times in infection. Adenovirus 2 pm2250 has a G----C transversion in the first base of E1B 13S mRNA intron preventing splicing of the 13S mRNA but not of the 22S mRNA. During the early phase of a pm2250 infection, the E1B primary transcripts were processed into the 22S mRNA only. However, during the late phase, when the 13S mRNA normally predominates, E1B primary transcripts were also processed by RNA splicing at two formerly unused or cryptic 5' splice sites. Both cryptic splice sites were located much closer to the disrupted 13S 5' splice site than to the 22S 5' splice site. Thus, the temporal increase in proportion of the 13S mRNA to the 22S mRNA is regulated by two processes, an increase in cytoplasmic stability of the 13S mRNA and an increased propensity to utilize the 13S 5' splice site during the late phase of infection. Adenovirus 2 pm2250 was not defective for productive infection of HeLa cells or for transformation of rat cells.


PLoS Genetics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. e1009563
Author(s):  
Brian Joseph ◽  
Eric C. Lai

Accurate splice site selection is critical for fruitful gene expression. Recently, the mammalian EJC was shown to repress competing, cryptic, splice sites (SS). However, the evolutionary generality of this remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate the Drosophila EJC suppresses hundreds of functional cryptic SS, even though most bear weak splicing motifs and are seemingly incompetent. Mechanistically, the EJC directly conceals cryptic splicing elements by virtue of its position-specific recruitment, preventing aberrant SS definition. Unexpectedly, we discover the EJC inhibits scores of regenerated 5’ and 3’ recursive SS on segments that have already undergone splicing, and that loss of EJC regulation triggers faulty resplicing of mRNA. An important corollary is that certain intronless cDNA constructs yield unanticipated, truncated transcripts generated by resplicing. We conclude the EJC has conserved roles to defend transcriptome fidelity by (1) repressing illegitimate splice sites on pre-mRNAs, and (2) preventing inadvertent activation of such sites on spliced segments.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Joseph ◽  
Eric C. Lai

AbstractAccurate splice site selection is critical for fruitful gene expression. Here, we demonstrate the Drosophila EJC suppresses hundreds of functional cryptic splice sites (SS), even though majority of these bear weak splicing motifs and appear incompetent. Mechanistically, the EJC directly conceals splicing elements through position-specific recruitment, preventing SS definition. We note that intron removal using strong, canonical SS yields AG|GU signatures at exon-exon junctions. Unexpectedly, we discover that scores of these minimal exon junction sequences are in fact EJC-suppressed 5’ and 3’ recursive SS, and that loss of EJC regulation from such transcripts triggers faulty mRNA resplicing. An important corollary is that intronless cDNA expression constructs from aforementioned targets yield high levels of unanticipated, truncated transcripts generated by resplicing. Consequently, we conclude the EJC has ancestral roles to defend transcriptome fidelity by (1) repressing illegitimate splice sites on pre-mRNAs, and (2) preventing inadvertent activation of such sites on spliced segments.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document