The RNA binding protein FgRbp1 regulates specific pre-mRNA splicing via interacting with U2AF23 in Fusarium

Nat Commun. 2021 May 11;12(1):2661. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22917-3.

Abstract

Precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing is an essential and tightly regulated process in eukaryotic cells; however, the regulatory mechanisms for the splicing are not well understood. Here, we characterize a RNA binding protein named FgRbp1 in Fusarium graminearum, a fungal pathogen of cereal crops worldwide. Deletion of FgRbp1 leads to reduced splicing efficiency in 47% of the F. graminearum intron-containing gene transcripts that are involved in various cellular processes including vegetative growth, development, and virulence. The human ortholog RBM42 is able to fully rescue the growth defects of ΔFgRbp1. FgRbp1 binds to the motif CAAGR in its target mRNAs, and interacts with the splicing factor FgU2AF23, a highly conserved protein involved in 3' splice site recognition, leading to enhanced recruitment of FgU2AF23 to the target mRNAs. This study demonstrates that FgRbp1 is a splicing regulator and regulates the pre-mRNA splicing in a sequence-dependent manner in F. graminearum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites / genetics
  • Edible Grain / microbiology
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fusarium / genetics
  • Fusarium / metabolism*
  • Fusarium / pathogenicity
  • Humans
  • Introns / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Precursors / genetics
  • RNA Precursors / metabolism*
  • RNA Splice Sites
  • RNA Splicing*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Splicing Factor U2AF / metabolism*
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Fungal Proteins
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA Splice Sites
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Splicing Factor U2AF