Project description:Intron-containing gene expression in eukaryotes proceeds through the process of RNA splicing to generate protein-coding messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Herein a large and dynamic ribonucleoprotein complex — the spliceosome — removes non-coding introns from pre-mRNAs and joins exons. Spliceosomes must also ensure accurate and timely removal of diverse and highly prevalent introns. Here we show that Sde2 is a conserved splicing regulator, contains a ubiquitin fold, and supports splicing of a subset of pre-mRNAs in an intron-specific manner in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Its orthologs in S. pombe and humans are synthesized as precursors harboring a ubiquitin fold, followed by an invariant GGKGG motif and an uncharacterized C-terminal domain (referred to as Sde2-C). The precursor must be cleaved at GG^K by the ubiquitin specific proteases Ubp5 and Ubp15 to produce the Sde2-C protein containing a lysine residue at its C-terminus, and is a substrate of the N-end rule pathway of proteasomal degradation. The truncated Sde2-C functions as a component of the spliceosome, and loss of Sde2-C results in inefficient splicing of selected introns from target genes having functions in DNA replication, transcription and telomeric silencing. Thus, the ubiquitin-like processing of Sde2 — associated with its regulation by the N-end rule pathway — contributes to genomic stability in S. pombe through specific pre-mRNA splicing events.
Project description:The histone acetyltransferase Mst2 prevents epigenetic silencing via specific acetylation of the ubiquitin ligase Brl1 [microarray data]
Project description:Analysis of splicing defects in Schizosaccharomyces pombe upon chemical genetic inhibition of splicing kinases dsk1, lkh1, and prp4, as well as alanine-mutation of phosphorylated residues in the splicing factors bpb1, prp2, rsd1, srp1, srp2, usp101, usp103, sum3, prp22, cdc5, and cwf22. This study shows the splicing kinase dsk1 modulates splicing efficiency of introns with non-consensus splice sites, likely through phosphorylation of bpb1. Modulation of splicing efficiency of transcripts through kinase signaling pathways may afford the necessary flexibility to tune the gene expression profile in response to environmental and developmental cues.
Project description:Lariat sequencing in a unicellular yeast identifies regulated alternative splicing of exons that are evolutionarily conserved with humans