Cis- and trans-regulations of pre-mRNA splicing by RNA editing enzymes influence cancer development

Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 7;11(1):799. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14621-5.

Abstract

RNA editing and splicing are the two major processes that dynamically regulate human transcriptome diversity. Despite growing evidence of crosstalk between RNA editing enzymes (mainly ADAR1) and splicing machineries, detailed mechanistic explanations and their biological importance in diseases, such as cancer are still lacking. Herein, we identify approximately a hundred high-confidence splicing events altered by ADAR1 and/or ADAR2, and ADAR1 or ADAR2 protein can regulate cassette exons in both directions. We unravel a binding tendency of ADARs to dsRNAs that involves GA-rich sequences for editing and splicing regulation. ADAR1 edits an intronic splicing silencer, leading to recruitment of SRSF7 and repression of exon inclusion. We also present a mechanism through which ADAR2 binds to dsRNA formed between GA-rich sequences and polypyrimidine (Py)-tract and precludes access of U2AF65 to 3' splice site. Furthermore, we find these ADARs-regulated splicing changes per se influence tumorigenesis, not merely byproducts of ADARs editing and binding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Deaminase / genetics
  • Adenosine Deaminase / metabolism*
  • Alternative Splicing
  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Exons
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay
  • RNA Editing
  • RNA Precursors / genetics*
  • RNA Splice Sites
  • RNA Splicing
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / genetics
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / genetics
  • Splicing Factor U2AF / genetics

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • ODAD3 protein, human
  • RELL2 protein, human
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA Splice Sites
  • RNA, Double-Stranded
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • SRSF7 protein, human
  • Splicing Factor U2AF
  • U2AF2 protein, human
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors
  • ADAR protein, human
  • ADARB1 protein, human
  • Adenosine Deaminase