Single-molecule characterization of extrinsic transcription termination by Sen1 helicase.

Extrinsic transcription termination typically involves remodeling of RNA polymerase by an accessory helicase. In yeast this is accomplished by the Sen1 helicase homologous to human senataxin (SETX). To gain insight into these processes we develop a DNA scaffold construct compatible with magnetic-trapping assays and from which S. cerevisiae RNA polymerase II (Pol II), as well as E. coli RNA polymerase (ecRNAP), can efficiently initiate transcription without transcription factors, elongate, and undergo extrinsic termination. By stalling Pol II TECs on the construct we can monitor Sen1-induced termination in real-time, revealing the formation of an intermediate in which the Pol II transcription bubble appears half-rewound. This intermediate requires ~40 sec to form and lasts ~20 sec prior to final dissociation of the stalled Pol II. The experiments enabled by the scaffold construct permit detailed statistical and kinetic analysis of Pol II interactions with a range of cofactors in a multi-round, high-throughput fashion.

The DECD box putative ATPase Sub2p is an early mRNA export factor.

Nuclear mRNA metabolism relies on the interplay between transcription, processing, and nuclear export. RNA polymerase II transcripts experience major rearrangements within the nucleus, which include alterations in the structure of the mRNA precursors as well as the addition and perhaps even removal of proteins prior to transport across the nuclear membrane. Such mRNP-remodeling steps are thought to require the activity of RNA helicases/ATPases. One such protein, the DECD box RNA-dependent ATPase Sub2p/UAP56, is involved in both early and late steps of spliceosome assembly. Here, we report a more general function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sub2p in mRNA nuclear export. We observe a rapid and dramatic nuclear accumulation of poly(A)(+) RNA in strains carrying mutant alleles of sub2. Strikingly, an intronless transcript, HSP104, also accumulates in nuclei, suggesting that Sub2p function is not restricted to splicing events. The HSP104 transcripts are localized in a single nuclear focus that is suggested to be at or near their site of transcription. Intriguingly, Sub2p shows strong genetic and functional interactions with the RNA polymerase II-associated DNA/DNA:RNA helicase Rad3p as well as the nuclear RNA exosome component Rrp6p, which was independently implicated in the retention of mRNAs at transcription sites. Taken together, our data suggest that Sub2p functions at an early step in the mRNA export process.

Multiple roles for the yeast SUB2/yUAP56 gene in splicing.

The UAP56 gene has been shown to be required for prespliceosome assembly in mammals. We report here the isolation of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe ortholog of this gene by heterologous complementation of a combined PRP40HA(3)/nam8Delta defect in budding yeast. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae ortholog, YDL084w/SUB2, is also able to suppress this defect. We show that SUB2 is involved in splicing in vivo as well as in vitro. Sub2 defective extracts form a stalled intermediate that contains U2snRNP and can be chased into functional spliceosomes. Our experiments also suggest a role for this protein in events that precede prespliceosome formation. Data reported here as well as in the accompanying papers strongly implicate Sub2p in multiple steps of the spliceosome assembly process.

Splicing enhancement in the yeast rp51b intron.

Splicing enhancement in higher eukaryotes has been linked to SR proteins, to U1 snRNP, and to communication between splice sites across introns or exons mediated by protein-protein interactions. It has been previously shown that, in yeast, communication mediated by RNA-RNA interactions between the two ends of introns is a basis for splicing enhancement. We designed experiments of randomization-selection to isolate splicing enhancers that would work independently from RNA secondary structures. Surprisingly, one of the two families of sequences selected was essentially composed of 5' splice site variants. We show that this sequence enhances splicing independently of secondary structure, is exportable to heterologous contexts, and works in multiple copies with additive effects. The data argue in favor of an early role for splicing enhancement, possibly coincident with commitment complex formation. Genetic compensation experiments with U1 snRNA mutants suggest that U1 snRNP binding to noncanonical locations is required for splicing enhancement.

RNA structural patterns and splicing: molecular basis for an RNA-based enhancer.

Efficient splicing of the 325-nt yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) rp51b intron requires the presence of two short interacting sequences located 200 nt apart. We used the powerful technique of randomization-selection to probe the overall structure of the intron and to investigate its role in pre-mRNA splicing. We identified a number of alternative RNA-RNA interactions in the intron that promote efficient splicing, and we showed that similar base pairings can also improve splicing efficiency in artificially designed introns. Only a very limited amount of structural information is necessary to create or maintain such a mechanism. Our results suggest that the base pairing contributes transiently to the spliceosome assembly process, most likely by complementing interactions between splicing factors. We propose that splicing enhancement by structure represents a general mechanism operating in large yeast introns that evolutionarily preceded the protein-based splicing enhancers of higher eukaryotes.

Splicing of the alternative exons of the chicken, rat, and Xenopus beta tropomyosin transcripts requires class-specific elements.

The diversity of protein isoforms is often generated from single genes by alternative splicing of the primary transcript. Using transfection of beta tropomyosin minigene constructs into homologous and heterologous cell systems, we show that there are differences, among higher vertebrates, in the components of the splicing machinery which control the conserved regulated splicing pattern of two mutually exclusive exons (6A and 6B) present in this gene. These experiments demonstrate that genes which give rise to alternative transcripts may require an appropriate combination of splicing factors which are species-specific, or at least restricted to the same taxonomic subgroup (class). An important practical implication is that the splicing of these genes may be deregulated in heterologous systems in vitro and in vivo, i.e. in transgenic animals.

Pre-mRNA secondary structure and the regulation of splicing.

Nuclear pre-mRNAs must be precisely processed to give rise to mature cytoplasmic mRNAs. This maturation process, known as splicing, involves excision of intron sequences and ligation of the exon sequences. One of the major problems in understanding this process is how splice sites, the sequences which form the boundaries between introns and exons, can be accurately selected. A number of studies have defined conserved sequences within introns which were later shown to interact with small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). However, due to the simplicity of these conserved sequences it has become clear that other elements must be involved and a number of studies have indicated the importance of secondary structures within pre-mRNAs. Using various examples, we shall show that such structures can help to specify splice sites by modifying physical distances within introns or by being involved in the definition of exons and lastly, that they can be part of the regulation of alternative splicing.

Intronic sequence with both negative and positive effects on the regulation of alternative transcripts of the chicken beta tropomyosin transcripts.

The chicken beta tropomyosin gene generates three major transcripts by alternative splicing. A pair of internal exons are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner and their utilisation is developmentally regulated. Exon 6A and exon 6B are used respectively in myoblasts and myotubes during the process of differentiation of muscle cells. We have previously reported that, in myoblasts, exon 6B is skipped because of a negative regulation which involves intron as well as exon sequences. In this report, we describe a previously uncharacterized intronic element which is involved in the regulation of the splicing of both exons 6A and 6B. This cis-element is localized 37nt downstream of exon 6A and is approximately 30nt long. Its deletion, as well as modification of its sequence, results in the activation of the use of exon 6B and, at the same time, in the inhibition of the use of exon 6A. The mechanisms by which this region could act are further discussed.

In vivo splicing of the beta tropomyosin pre-mRNA: a role for branch point and donor site competition.

The chicken beta tropomyosin gene contains two sets of alternatively spliced, mutually exclusive exons whose utilization is developmentally regulated. Exons 6A and 6B are used in nonmuscle cells (or undifferentiated muscle cells) and skeletal muscle cells, respectively. A complex arrangement of cis-acting sequence elements is involved in alternative splicing regulation. We have performed an extensive mutational analysis on the sequence spanning the region from exon 6A to the constitutive exon 7. A large number of mutant minigenes have been tested in transfection assays of cultured myogenic cells, and the splicing products have been analyzed by cDNA polymerase chain reaction. We demonstrate that in undifferentiated myoblasts, exon 6B is skipped as a result of a negative control on its selection, while exon 6A is spliced as a default choice. We provide evidence that the focal point of such a regulation is localized in the intron upstream of exon 6B and probably involves the blockage of its associated branch point. In differentiated myotubes, in contrast, both exons are accessible to the splicing machinery. We show that the preferential choice of exon 6B in this splicing environment depends on the existence of a competition between the two exons for the flanking constitutive splice sites. We demonstrate that both the donors and the branch points of the two exons are involved in this competition.

Cis regulating elements which control in vivo alternative splicing of the chicken beta tropomyosin primary transcript.

The beta tropomyosin gene of the chicken contains a pair of alternatively spliced mutually exclusive exons the use of which is developmentally regulated. Exon 6A is used by non muscle and undifferentiated muscle cells (myoblasts) while exon 6B is exclusively used in differentiated skeletal muscle cells. A complex array of cis acting sequence elements are involved in the regulation of this alternative splicing process. Transfection assays of quail muscle cells in culture were used to define these cis acting elements. We show that, in undifferentiated muscle cells, exon 6B is skipped as a result of a negative control on its selection while exon 6A is spliced as a default choice. We provide evidence that this negative control involves a secondary structure of the primary transcript around the 5' end of exon 6B as well as intronic sequence elements located between the branch point and the acceptor splice site of exon 6B. In differentiated muscles, both exons are accessible to the splicing machinery and the preferential use of exon 6B depends on the existence of a competition between the two exons for the selection of the flanking splice sites. In particular, we show that the donor splice site of exon 6A is a weak splice site while the branch point associated with exon 6B is a strong branch point.

The chicken gene encoding the alpha isoform of tropomyosin of fast-twitch muscle fibers: organization, expression and identification of the major proteins synthesized.

The chicken gene alpha fTM encoding the alpha-tropomyosin of fast-twitch muscle fibers (alpha fTM) covers 20 kb and consists of 15 exons. From this gene, three types of mature transcripts (1.3 kb, 2 kb and 2.8 kb) are expressed through the use of alternative promoters, alternatively spliced exons and multiple 3' end processing. Northern analysis and S1 mapping have shown that the 1.3-kb transcript (exons 1a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 7, 8, 9a-9b) is expressed in fast-twitch skeletal muscles and that 2-kb transcripts are expressed in smooth muscle (exons 1a, 2a, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 7, 8, 9d) and in fibroblasts (exons 1a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6a or 6b, 7, 8, 9d). These 2-kb transcripts encode distinct proteins which we have identified by two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis. The 2.8-kb transcript which has not been so far characterized in birds is expressed in brain (exons 1b, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 7, 8, 9c-9d). This transcript has been characterized by a cDNA polymerase chain reaction assay and by S1 nuclease mapping. It produces a major TM isoform of chick brain which we have identified by 2D gels.

Tissue-specific splicing in vivo of the beta-tropomyosin gene: dependence on an RNA secondary structure.

The beta-tropomyosin gene in chicken contains two mutually exclusive exons (exons 6A and 6B) which are used by the splicing apparatus in myogenic cells, respectively, before (myoblast stage) and after (myotube stage) differentiation. The myoblast splicing pattern is shown to depend on multiple sequence elements that are located in the upstream intron and in the exon 6B and that exert a negative control over exon 6B splicing. This regulation of splicing is due, at least in part, to a secondary structure of the primary transcript, which limits in vivo the accessibility of exon 6B in myoblasts.

Exon as well as intron sequences are cis-regulating elements for the mutually exclusive alternative splicing of the beta tropomyosin gene.

The beta tropomyosin gene contains two internal exons which are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner. Exon 6B is specifically included in the mature transcripts expressed in skeletal muscle or cultured myotubes, while exon 6A is a myoblast- or smooth muscle-specific exon. The intron between them, which is never spliced in normal conditions, contains two characteristic features: first, the unusual location of the branch point at position -105 from the acceptor, and second, the presence of a very long pyrimidine stretch upstream of the skeletal muscle exon. In this study we designed a number of sequence modifications to investigate the role of these two elements and of a computer-predicted secondary structure in the mutually exclusive splicing of the two exons. We found that mutations in the skeletal exon as well as in the upstream intron could change in vivo the tissue-specific pattern as well as the mutually exclusive character of the two exons. Our results suggest that the unusual position of the branch point does not prevent the utilization of exon 6B in myoblasts and that the region around the acceptor site of exon 6B and the polypyrimidine tract have an important role in this control. Last, we discuss the possible implications of secondary structures.

A nonmuscle tropomyosin is encoded by the smooth/skeletal beta-tropomyosin gene and its RNA is transcribed from an internal promoter.

The smooth/skeletal muscle beta-tropomyosin gene contains an additional exon (exon 1') which is located between exons 2 and 3 and which is used to generate a 1.3-kb transcript expressed in undifferentiated muscle as well as nonmuscle cells. This mRNA, besides exon 1', corresponds to exons 3, 4, 5, 6A, 7, 8, and 9B of the gene and codes for a 247-amino acid low molecular weight tropomyosin. Exon 1' contains the coding sequence for the first 44 amino acids of the protein as well as the whole 5'-untranslated region. During the transition from myoblasts to myotubes, initiation of transcription continues from the internal promoter but also occurs from the distal promoter in order to give rise to the skeletal beta-tropomyosin-specific transcript.

In vitro splicing of mutually exclusive exons from the chicken beta-tropomyosin gene: role of the branch point location and very long pyrimidine stretch.

The chicken beta-tropomyosin gene contains 11 exons, two of which are spliced into mRNA only in skeletal muscle. One pair of alternative exons, 6A and 6B, is found in the middle of the gene; they are spliced in a mutually exclusive manner. The non-muscle splice 6A-7 is by far the predominant in vitro reaction in a HeLa cell nuclear extract. A minor product is the 6A-6B splice, which is excluded in all tissues. This minor product results from the use of a branch point located 105 nt upstream of the 3' end of the intron separating exons 6A and 6B. The region between the branch point sequence and the final AG contains a stretch of approximately 80 pyrimidines. We have examined the role of the distance of the branchpoint to the 3' splice site and of the sequences between these two elements. Our results suggest that at least two cis-acting elements contribute to the mutual exclusivity of exons 6A and 6B. The intron between exons 6A and 6B is intrinsically poorly 'spliceable' both because the branch point is too far upstream of the 3' end of the intron to give efficient splicing and because of the particular sequence lying between this branch point and the 3' splice site.

A subfragment of the beta tropomyosin gene is alternatively spliced when transfected into differentiating muscle cells.

A subgenomic fragment of the chicken beta tropomyosin gene which contains two alternative exons flanked by common exons was isolated and placed under the control of the SV 40 early promoter. This construction was subsequently used to transfect quail myoblasts together with a Neomycin resistance gene, and to isolate stable transfectants. mRNAs were isolated before and after differentiation and analyzed using a modification of the primer extension method. We show that myoblasts accumulate transcripts which contain the non muscle specific exon joined to the common exons while myotubes accumulate transcripts containing the muscle specific exon. These results, therefore demonstrate that such a subgenomic fragment contains all the necessary information to direct a correct developmentally regulated mutually exclusive splicing. They also strongly suggest that trans acting factors must be involved in the switch of the splicing pattern which takes place during the transition from myoblasts to myotubes. The same regulation cannot be faithfully reproduced during transient expression, since no difference in the use of exons 6A/6B is observed during differentiation and two aberrant minor splicing products are obtained which contain or lack both exons. We suggest that failure of exon 6A to splice to exon 6B is due to the existence of some structural constraints which lower the efficiency with which the intron between them is excised.

Tissue-specific transcriptional control of alpha- and beta-tropomyosins in chicken muscle development.

During muscle maturation, isoform switching of contractile proteins to attain the adult phenotype involves both stage-specific and muscle-specific regulatory mechanisms. Chicken pectoralis major (PM) provides an interesting model to study the latter since a specific pattern of tropomyosin (TM) with repression of the beta TM isoform is displayed by the adult PM. The developmental pattern of alpha and beta fast skeletal muscle tropomyosins' (alpha f and beta TM) RNAs was investigated with 3' untranslated region specific probes. In PM, the beta TM messenger ceased to accumulate after hatching through a transcriptional control, as shown by run-on assays, so that, at Day 8 ex ovo, no beta TM mRNA was detected. In this same muscle, in parallel with the disappearance of the beta TM mRNA, there was a boost in the accumulation of the alpha f TM mRNA. In the leg muscles, following hatching, there was only a moderate increase in the level of the alpha f TM mRNA, together with a slight decrease in the accumulation of the beta TM mRNA. Taken together, these results show that chicken muscle maturation involves tissue-specific transcriptional control of tropomyosin genes and could suggest a possible coordinate regulation of the two genes.

A single gene codes for the beta subunits of smooth and skeletal muscle tropomyosin in the chicken.

A chicken genomic DNA library was screened with a full length cDNA corresponding to the beta subunit of smooth muscle tropomyosin. When hybridized with RNAs isolated from various tissues, this cDNA recognizes two mRNA species: one of 1.3 kilobase pairs present only in smooth muscle and one of 1.6 kilobase pairs present only in skeletal muscle. Two overlapping recombinant phages were shown to contain the entire locus and were further characterized. This locus contains 11 exons and spans approximately 13 kilobase pairs. Exon 1 (amino acids 1-38) contains the 5'-untranslated region which is common to the two mRNAs. Exons 6 (amino acids 189-213) and 11 (amino acids 258-284) contain sequences which are present exclusively in the 1.3-kilobase pair smooth muscle mRNA while exons 7 and 10, which code for an analogous region, contain sequences which are present exclusively in the 1.6-kilobase pair skeletal muscle mRNA (exons 10 and 11 also contain the entire 3'-untranslated regions of the corresponding mRNAs). Other exons, 2 to 5 (amino acids 39-188) and 8 and 9 (amino acids 214-257), contain sequences which are present in both mRNAs. Our results indicate that both the smooth and skeletal beta-tropomyosin mRNAs are derived from transcripts of a single gene with a unique promoter by a differential splicing mechanism.