Ectopic expression of Snord115 in choroid plexus interferes with editing but not splicing of 5-Ht2c receptor pre-mRNA in mice

Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 12;9(1):4300. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39940-6.

Abstract

Serotonin 5-HT2C receptor is a G-protein coupled excitatory receptor that regulates several biochemical pathways and has been implicated in obesity, mental state, sleep cycles, autism, neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The activity of 5-HT2CR is regulated via alternative splicing and A to I editing of exon Vb of its pre-mRNA. Snord115 is a small nucleolar RNA that is expressed in mouse neurons and displays an 18-nucleotide base complementary to exon Vb of 5-HT2CR pre-mRNA. For almost two decades this putative guide element of Snord115 has wandered like a ghost through the literature in attempts to elucidate the biological significance of this complementarity. In mice, Snord115 is expressed in neurons and absent in the choroid plexus where, in contrast, 5-Ht2cr mRNA is highly abundant. Here we report the analysis of 5-Ht2cr pre-mRNA posttranscriptional processing via RNA deep sequencing in a mouse model that ectopically expresses Snord115 in the choroid plexus. In contrast to previous reports, our analysis demonstrated that Snord115 does not control alternative splicing of 5-Ht2cr pre-mRNA in vivo. We identified a modest, yet statistically significant reduction of 5-Ht2cr pre-mRNA A to I editing at the major A, B, C and D sites. We suggest that Snord115 and exon Vb of 5Ht2cr pre-mRNA form a double-stranded structure that is subject to ADAR-mediated A to I editing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive Snord115 gain-of-function analysis based on in vivo mouse models.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing / genetics
  • Alternative Splicing / physiology
  • Animals
  • Choroid Plexus / metabolism
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • RNA Editing / genetics
  • RNA Editing / physiology
  • RNA Splicing / genetics
  • RNA Splicing / physiology
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / genetics
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / metabolism*

Substances

  • RNA, Small Nucleolar