The splicing regulatory element, UGCAUG, is phylogenetically and spatially conserved in introns that flank tissue-specific alternative exons

Previous studies have identified UGCAUG as an intron splicing enhancer that is frequently located adjacent to tissue-specific alternative exons in the human genome. Here, we show that UGCAUG is phylogenetically and spatially conserved in introns that flank brain-enriched alternative exons from fish to man. Analysis of sequence from the mouse, rat, dog, chicken and pufferfish genomes revealed a strongly statistically significant association of UGCAUG with the proximal intron region downstream of brain-enriched alternative exons. The number, position and sequence context of intronic UGCAUG elements were highly conserved among mammals and in chicken, but more divergent in fish. Control datasets, including constitutive exons and non-tissue-specific alternative exons, exhibited a much lower incidence of closely linked UGCAUG elements. We propose that the high sequence specificity of the UGCAUG element, and its unique association with tissue-specific alternative exons, mark it as a critical component of splicing switch mechanism(s) designed to activate a limited repertoire of splicing events in cell type-specific patterns. We further speculate that highly conserved UGCAUG-binding protein(s) related to the recently described Fox-1 splicing factor play a critical role in mediating this specificity.     

Fox-2 splicing factor binds to a conserved intron motif to promote inclusion of protein 4.1R alternative exon 16

Activation of protein 4.1R exon 16 (E16) inclusion during erythropoiesis represents a physiologically important splicing switch that increases 4.1R affinity for spectrin and actin. Previous studies showed that negative regulation of E16 splicing is mediated by the binding of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A/B proteins to silencer elements in the exon and that down-regulation of hnRNP A/B proteins in erythroblasts leads to activation of E16 inclusion. This article demonstrates that positive regulation of E16 splicing can be mediated by Fox-2 or Fox-1, two closely related splicing factors that possess identical RNA recognition motifs. SELEX experiments with human Fox-1 revealed highly selective binding to the hexamer UGCAUG. Both Fox-1 and Fox-2 were able to bind the conserved UGCAUG elements in the proximal intron downstream of E16, and both could activate E16 splicing in HeLa cell co-transfection assays in a UGCAUG-dependent manner. Conversely, knockdown of Fox-2 expression, achieved with two different siRNA sequences resulted in decreased E16 splicing. Moreover, immunoblot experiments demonstrate mouse erythroblasts express Fox-2. These findings suggest that Fox-2 is a physiological activator of E16 splicing in differentiating erythroid cells in vivo. Recent experiments show that UGCAUG is present in the proximal intron sequence of many tissue-specific alternative exons, and we propose that the Fox family of splicing enhancers plays an important role in alternative splicing switches during differentiation in metazoan organisms.     

Intronic alternative splicing regulators identified by comparative genomics in nematodes

Many alternative splicing events are regulated by pentameric and hexameric intronic sequences that serve as binding sites for splicing regulatory factors. We hypothesized that intronic elements that regulate alternative splicing are under selective pressure for evolutionary conservation. Using a Wobble Aware Bulk Aligner genomic alignment of Caenorhabditis elegans and Caenorhabditis briggsae, we identified 147 alternatively spliced cassette exons that exhibit short regions of high nucleotide conservation in the introns flanking the alternative exon. In vivo experiments on the alternatively spliced let-2 gene confirm that these conserved regions can be important for alternative splicing regulation. Conserved intronic element sequences were collected into a dataset and the occurrence of each pentamer and hexamer motif was counted. We compared the frequency of pentamers and hexamers in the conserved intronic elements to a dataset of all C. elegans intron sequences in order to identify short intronic motifs that are more likely to be associated with alternative splicing. High-scoring motifs were examined for upstream or downstream preferences in introns surrounding alternative exons. Many of the high- scoring nematode pentamer and hexamer motifs correspond to known mammalian splicing regulatory sequences, such as (T)GCATG, indicating that the mechanism of alternative splicing regulation is well conserved in metazoans. A comparison of the analysis of the conserved intronic elements, and analysis of the entire introns flanking these same exons, reveals that focusing on intronic conservation can increase the sensitivity of detecting putative splicing regulatory motifs. This approach also identified novel sequences whose role in splicing is under investigation and has allowed us to take a step forward in defining a catalog of splicing regulatory elements for an organism. In vivo experiments confirm that one novel high-scoring sequence from our analysis, (T)CTATC, is important for alternative splicing regulation of the unc-52 gene.     

Conserved sequence elements associated with exon skipping

One of the major forms of alternative splicing, which generates multiple mRNA isoforms differing in the precise combinations of their exon sequences, is exon skipping. While in constitutive splicing all exons are included, in the skipped pattern(s) one or more exons are skipped. The regulation of this process is still not well understood; so far, cis- regulatory elements (such as exonic splicing enhancers) were identified in individual cases. We therefore set to investigate the possibility that exon skipping is controlled by sequences in the adjacent introns. We employed a computer analysis on 54 sequences documented as undergoing exon skipping, and identified two motifs both in the upstream and downstream introns of the skipped exons. One motif is highly enriched in pyrimidines (mostly C residues), and the other motif is highly enriched in purines (mostly G residues). The two motifs differ from the known cis-elements present at the 5′ and 3′ splice site. Interestingly, the two motifs are complementary, and their relative positional order is conserved in the flanking introns. These suggest that base pairing interactions can underlie a mechanism that involves secondary structure to regulate exon skipping. Remarkably, the two motifs are conserved in mouse orthologous genes that undergo exon skipping.     

Unusual intron conservation near tissue-regulated exons found by splicing microarrays

Alternative splicing contributes to both gene regulation and protein diversity. To discover broad relationships between regulation of alternative splicing and sequence conservation, we applied a systems approach, using oligonucleotide microarrays designed to capture splicing information across the mouse genome. In a set of 22 adult tissues, we observe differential expression of RNA containing at least two alternative splice junctions for about 40% of the 6,216 alternative events we could detect. Statistical comparisons identify 171 cassette exons whose inclusion or skipping is different in brain relative to other tissues and another 28 exons whose splicing is different in muscle. A subset of these exons is associated with unusual blocks of intron sequence whose conservation in vertebrates rivals that of protein-coding exons. By focusing on sets of exons with similar regulatory patterns, we have identified new sequence motifs implicated in brain and muscle splicing regulation. Of note is a motif that is strikingly similar to the branchpoint consensus but is located downstream of the 5′ splice site of exons included in muscle. Analysis of three paralogous membrane-associated guanylate kinase genes reveals that each contains a paralogous tissue-regulated exon with a similar tissue inclusion pattern. While the intron sequences flanking these exons remain highly conserved among mammalian orthologs, the paralogous flanking intron sequences have diverged considerably, suggesting unusually complex evolution of the regulation of alternative splicing in multigene families.     

Requirements for mini-exon inclusion in potato invertase mRNAs provides evidence for exon-scanning interactions in plants

Invertases are responsible for the breakdown of sucrose to fructose and glucose. In all but one plant invertase gene, the second exon is only 9 nt in length and encodes three amino acids of a five-amino-acid sequence that is highly conserved in all invertases of plant origin. Sequences responsible for normal splicing (inclusion) of exon 2 have been investigated in vivo using the potato invertase, invGF gene. The upstream intron 1 is required for inclusion whereas the downstream intron 2 is not. Mutations within intron 1 have identified two sequence elements that are needed for inclusion: a putative branchpoint sequence and an adjacent U-rich region. Both are recognized plant intron splicing signals. The branchpoint sequence lies further upstream from the 3' splice site of intron 1 than is normally seen in plant introns. All dicotyledonous plant invertase genes contain this arrangement of sequence elements: a distal branchpoint sequence and adjacent, downstream U-rich region. Intron 1 sequences upstream of the branchpoint and sequences in exons 1, 2, or 3 do not determine inclusion, suggesting that intron or exon splicing enhancer elements seen in vertebrate mini-exon systems are absent. In addition, mutation of the 3' and 5' splice sites flanking the mini-exon cause skipping of the mini-exon, suggesting that both splice sites are required. The branchpoint/U-rich sequence is able to promote splicing of mini-exons of 6, 3, and 1 nt in length and of a chicken cTNT mini-exon of 6 nt. These sequence elements therefore act as a splicing enhancer and appear to function via interactions between factors bound at the branchpoint/U-rich region and at the 5' splice site of intron 2, activating removal of this intron followed by removal of intron 1. This first example of splicing of a plant mini-exon to be analyzed demonstrates that particular arrangement of standard plant intron splicing signals can drive constitutive splicing of a mini-exon.     

Human GC-AG alternative intron isoforms with weak donor sites show enhanced consensus at acceptor exon positions

It has been previously observed that the intrinsically weak variant GC donor sites, in order to be recognized by the U2-type spliceosome, possess strong consensus sequences maximized for base pair formation with U1 and U5/U6 snRNAs. However, variability in signal strength is a fundamental mechanism for splice site selection in alternative splicing. Here we report human alternative GC-AG introns (for the first time from any species), and show that while constitutive GC-AG introns do possess strong signals at their donor sites, a large subset of alternative GC-AG introns possess weak consensus sequences at their donor sites. Surprisingly, this subset of alternative isoforms shows strong consensus at acceptor exon positions 1 and 2. The improved consensus at the acceptor exon can facilitate a strong interaction with U5 snRNA, which tethers the two exons for ligation during the second step of splicing. Further, these isoforms nearly always possess alternative acceptor sites and exhibit particularly weak polypyrimidine tracts characteristic of AG-dependent introns. The acceptor exon nucleotides are part of the consensus required for the U2AF³⁵-mediated recognition of AG in such introns. Such improved consensus at acceptor exons is not found in either normal or alternative GT-AG introns having weak donor sites or weak polypyrimidine tracts. The changes probably reflect mechanisms that allow GC-AG alternative intron isoforms to cope with two conflicting requirements, namely an apparent need for differential splice strength to direct the choice of alternative sites and a need for improved donor signals to compensate for the central mismatch base pair (C-A) in the RNA duplex of U1 snRNA and the pre-mRNA. The other important findings include (i) one in every twenty alternative introns is a GC-AG intron, and (ii) three of every five observed GC-AG introns are alternative isoforms.     

cis-acting sequences involved in exon selection in the chicken beta-tropomyosin gene.

The chicken beta-tropomyosin gene contains an internal pair of mutually exclusive exons (6A and 6B) that are selected in a tissue-specific manner. Exon 6A is incorporated in fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, whereas exon 6B is skeletal muscle specific. In this study we show that two different regions in the intron between the two mutually exclusive exons are important for this specific selection in nonmuscle cells. Sequences in the 3' end of the intron have a negative effect in the recognition of the 3' splice site, while sequences in the 5' end of the intron have a positive effect in the recognition of the 5' splice site. First, sequences in exon 6B as well as in the intron upstream of exon 6B are both able to inhibit splicing when placed in a heterologous gene. The sequences in the polypyrimidine stretch region contribute to splicing inhibition of exons 5 or 6A to 6B through a mechanism independent of their implication in the previously described secondary structure around exon 6B. Second, we have identified a sequence of 30 nucleotides in the intron just downstream of exon 6A that is essential for the recognition of the 5' splice site of exon 6A. This is so even after introduction of a consensus sequence into the 5' splice site of this exon. Deletion of this sequence blocks splicing of exon 6A to 6B after formation of the presplicing complex. Taken together, these results suggest that both the mutually exclusive behavior and the choice between exons 6A and 6B of the chicken beta-tropomyosin gene are trans regulated.     

Quaking and PTB control overlapping splicing regulatory networks during muscle cell differentiation

Alternative splicing contributes to muscle development, but a complete set of muscle-splicing factors and their combinatorial interactions are unknown. Previous work identified ACUAA (“STAR” motif) as an enriched intron sequence near muscle-specific alternative exons such as Capzb exon 9. Mass spectrometry of myoblast proteins selected by the Capzb exon 9 intron via RNA affinity chromatography identifies Quaking (QK), a protein known to regulate mRNA function through ACUAA motifs in 3′ UTRs. We find that QK promotes inclusion of Capzb exon 9 in opposition to repression by polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB). QK depletion alters inclusion of 406 cassette exons whose adjacent intron sequences are also enriched in ACUAA motifs. During differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, QK levels increase two- to threefold, suggesting a mechanism for QK-responsive exon regulation. Combined analysis of the PTB- and QK-splicing regulatory networks during myogenesis suggests that 39% of regulated exons are under the control of one or both of these splicing factors. This work provides the first evidence that QK is a global regulator of splicing during muscle development in vertebrates and shows how overlapping splicing regulatory networks contribute to gene expression programs during differentiation.     

Splicing and the single cell

The selection of alternative splice sites is an important component of cell-specific gene regulation in eukaryotic cells. Use of splice sites can be positively and negatively regulated, and often physiologically appropriate splice site choice is achieved by a balance of the two. RNA elements controlling splice site choice are found in both exons and introns, and these determine management by the cellular splicing machinery. However, the molecular basis of how the splicing machinery responds to these signals in different cells is somewhat of a paradox. Thus far the identified proteins which bind to tissue/cell-specific regulatory elements in mammals are expressed in many different tissues, and not just in the regulating tissue. Potential tissue-specific splicing regulators have been identified by non-biochemical means. However, alternative splicing choices are likely to be affected by subtle differences in the splicing machinery in different cells. In this review I suggest that one important factor is the ratio of proteins in different nuclear compartments, which might be established in a cell type specific fashion.     

Identification of a cis element for tissue-specific alternative splicing of chloroplast ascorbate peroxidase pre-mRNA in higher plants

Alternative splicing events in the 3'-terminal region of chloroplast ascorbate peroxidase (chlAPX) pre-mRNA in spinach and tobacco, which produced four types of mRNA variants, one form (tAPX-I) encoding thylakoid-bound APX (tAPX) and three forms (sAPX-I, -II, and -III) encoding stromal APX (sAPX), were regulated in a tissue-specific manner. The ratio of the level of sAPX mRNAs (sAPX-I, -II, and -III) to tAPX-I mRNA was close to 1 in leaf, whereas the ratio in root was greatly elevated due to an increase in sAPX-III and a decrease in tAPX-I resulting from the alternative excision of intron 11 and intron 12, respectively. A putative splicing regulatory cis element (SRE), which is highly conserved in the sequences of chlAPX genes of higher plants, was identified upstream of the acceptor site in intron 12. The deletion of the SRE sequence diminished the splicing efficiency of intron 12 in tobacco leaf in vivo. Gel-shift analysis showed that SRE interacts strongly with a nuclear protein from leaves but not those from the roots of spinach and tobacco. These results indicate that the tissue-specific alternative splicing of chlAPX pre-mRNA is regulated by the splicing enhancer SRE.     

A complex intronic splicing enhancer from the c-src pre-mRNA activates inclusion of a heterologous exon.

The mouse c-src gene contains a short neuron-specific exon, N1. To characterize the sequences that regulate N1 splicing, we used a heterologous gene, derived from the human beta-globin gene, containing a short internal exon that is usually skipped by the splicing machinery. Various fragments from the src gene were inserted into the globin substrate to measure their effects on the splicing of the test exon. These clones were transiently expressed in neuronal and nonneuronal cell lines, and the level of exon inclusion was measured by primer extension. Several sequences from the N1 exon region induced the splicing of the heterologous exon. The most powerful effect was seen with a sequence from the intron downstream of the N1 exon. This sequence acted as a strong splicing enhancer, activating splicing of the test exon when placed in the intron downstream. The enhancer was strongest in neuronal LA-N-5 cells but also activated splicing in nonneuronal HEK293 cells. Deletion and linker scanning mutagenesis indicate that the enhancer is made up of multiple smaller elements that must act in combination. One of these elements was identified as the sequence UGCAUG. Three copies of this element can strongly activate splicing of the test exon in LA-N-5 neuroblastoma cells. These component elements of the src splicing enhancer are also apparently involved in the splicing of other short cassette exons.