Position-dependent and neuron-specific splicing regulation by the CELF family RNA-binding protein UNC-75 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Nucleic Acids Res. 2013 Apr;41(7):4015-25. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkt097. Epub 2013 Feb 14.

Abstract

A large fraction of protein-coding genes in metazoans undergo alternative pre-mRNA splicing in tissue- or cell-type-specific manners. Recent genome-wide approaches have identified many putative-binding sites for some of tissue-specific trans-acting splicing regulators. However, the mechanisms of splicing regulation in vivo remain largely unknown. To elucidate the modes of splicing regulation by the neuron-specific CELF family RNA-binding protein UNC-75 in Caenorhabditis elegans, we performed deep sequencing of poly(A)(+) RNAs from the unc-75(+)- and unc-75-mutant worms and identified more than 20 cassette and mutually exclusive exons repressed or activated by UNC-75. Motif searches revealed that (G/U)UGUUGUG stretches are enriched in the upstream and downstream introns of the UNC-75-repressed and -activated exons, respectively. Recombinant UNC-75 protein specifically binds to RNA fragments carrying the (G/U)UGUUGUG stretches in vitro. Bi-chromatic fluorescence alternative splicing reporters revealed that the UNC-75-target exons are regulated in tissue-specific and (G/U)UGUUGUG element-dependent manners in vivo. The unc-75 mutation affected the splicing reporter expression specifically in the nervous system. These results indicate that UNC-75 regulates alternative splicing of its target exons in neuron-specific and position-dependent manners through the (G/U)UGUUGUG elements in C. elegans. This study thus reveals the repertoire of target events for the CELF family in the living organism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Exons
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Introns
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / chemistry
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Regulatory Sequences, Ribonucleic Acid
  • UNC-75 protein, C elegans