SRSF7 maintains its homeostasis through the expression of Split-ORFs and nuclear body assembly

Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2020 Mar;27(3):260-273. doi: 10.1038/s41594-020-0385-9. Epub 2020 Mar 2.

Abstract

SRSF7 is an essential RNA-binding protein whose misexpression promotes cancer. Here, we describe how SRSF7 maintains its protein homeostasis in murine P19 cells using an intricate negative feedback mechanism. SRSF7 binding to its premessenger RNA promotes inclusion of a poison cassette exon and transcript degradation via nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). However, elevated SRSF7 levels inhibit NMD and promote translation of two protein halves, termed Split-ORFs, from the bicistronic SRSF7-PCE transcript. The first half acts as dominant-negative isoform suppressing poison cassette exon inclusion and instead promoting the retention of flanking introns containing repeated SRSF7 binding sites. Massive SRSF7 binding to these sites and its oligomerization promote the assembly of large nuclear bodies, which sequester SRSF7 transcripts at their transcription site, preventing their export and restoring normal SRSF7 protein levels. We further show that hundreds of human and mouse NMD targets, especially RNA-binding proteins, encode potential Split-ORFs, some of which are expressed under specific cellular conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Nucleus / ultrastructure
  • Exons
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Homeostasis / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay
  • Open Reading Frames*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • RNA Precursors / genetics*
  • RNA Precursors / metabolism
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / classification
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / genetics*
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors / metabolism
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • RNA Precursors
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • SRSF7 protein, human
  • Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors