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Neural Isoforms of Agrin Are Generated by Reduced PTBP1−RNA Interaction Network Spanning the Neuron−Specific Splicing Regions in <i>AGRN</i>
oleh: Samira Bushra, Ying-Ni Lin, Atefeh Joudaki, Mikako Ito, Bisei Ohkawara, Kinji Ohno, Akio Masuda
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2023-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Agrin is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan essential for the clustering of acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Neuron−specific isoforms of agrin are generated by alternative inclusion of three exons, called Y, Z8, and Z11 exons, although their processing mechanisms remain elusive. We found, by inspection of splicing <i>cis</i>−elements into the human <i>AGRN</i> gene, that binding sites for polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) were extensively enriched around Y and Z exons. <i>PTBP1</i>−silencing enhanced the coordinated inclusion of Y and Z exons in human SH−SY5Y neuronal cells, even though three constitutive exons are flanked by these alternative exons. Deletion analysis using minigenes identified five PTBP1−binding sites with remarkable splicing repression activities around Y and Z exons. Furthermore, artificial tethering experiments indicated that binding of a single PTBP1 molecule to any of these sites represses nearby Y or Z exons as well as the other distal exons. The RRM4 domain of PTBP1, which is required for looping out a target RNA segment, was likely to play a crucial role in the repression. Neuronal differentiation downregulates PTBP1 expression and promotes the coordinated inclusion of Y and Z exons. We propose that the reduction in the PTPB1−RNA network spanning these alternative exons is essential for the generation of the neuron−specific agrin isoforms.