Son maintains accurate splicing for a subset of human pre-mRNAs

J Cell Sci. 2011 Dec 15;124(Pt 24):4286-98. doi: 10.1242/jcs.092239. Epub 2011 Dec 22.

Abstract

Serine-arginine-rich (SR) proteins play a key role in alternative pre-mRNA splicing in eukaryotes. We recently showed that a large SR protein called Son has unique repeat motifs that are essential for maintaining the subnuclear organization of pre-mRNA processing factors in nuclear speckles. Motif analysis of Son highlights putative RNA interaction domains that suggest a direct role for Son in pre-mRNA splicing. Here, we used in situ approaches to show that Son localizes to a reporter minigene transcription site, and that RNAi-mediated Son depletion causes exon skipping on reporter transcripts at this transcription site. A genome-wide exon microarray analysis was performed to identify human transcription and splicing targets of Son. Our data show that Son-regulated splicing encompasses all known types of alternative splicing, the most common being alternative splicing of cassette exons. We confirmed that knockdown of Son leads to exon skipping in pre-mRNAs for chromatin-modifying enzymes, including ADA, HDAC6 and SetD8. This study reports a comprehensive view of human transcription and splicing targets for Son in fundamental cellular pathways such as integrin-mediated cell adhesion, cell cycle regulation, cholesterol biosynthesis, apoptosis and epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Metaphase
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
  • Nuclear Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA Precursors / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors
  • Spindle Apparatus / ultrastructure
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Tropomyosin / genetics

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • SON protein, human
  • Tropomyosin
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors