RNA splicing capability of live neuronal dendrites.

ABSTRACT: Dendrites are specialized extensions of the neuronal soma that contain components of the cellular machinery involved in RNA and protein metabolism. Several dendritically localized proteins are associated with the precursor-mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing complex, or spliceosome. Although some spliceosome-related, RNA-binding proteins are known to subserve separate cytoplasmic functions when moving between the nucleus and cytoplasm, little is known about the pre-mRNA splicing capacity of intact dendrites. Here, we demonstrate the presence and functionality of pre-mRNA-splicing components in dendrites. When isolated dendrites are transfected with a chicken delta-crystallin pre-mRNA or luciferase reporter pre-mRNA, splicing junctions clustered at or near expected splice sites are observed. Additionally, in vitro synaptoneurosome experiments show that this subcellular fraction contains a similar complement of splicing factors that is capable of splicing chicken delta-crystallin pre-mRNA. These observations suggest that pre-mRNA-splicing factors found in the dendroplasm retain the potential to promote pre-mRNA splicing.

SUBMITTER: Glanzer J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1277967 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature