PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.

Alternative splicing controls the expression of many genes, including the Drosophila sex determination gene Sex-lethal (Sxl). Sxl expression is controlled via a negative regulatory mechanism where inclusion of the translation-terminating male exon is blocked in females. Previous studies have shown t...

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Main Authors: Matthew L Johnson, Alexis A Nagengast, Helen K Salz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010-03-01
Series:PLoS Genetics
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2832672?pdf=render
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author Matthew L Johnson
Alexis A Nagengast
Helen K Salz
author_facet Matthew L Johnson
Alexis A Nagengast
Helen K Salz
author_sort Matthew L Johnson
collection DOAJ
description Alternative splicing controls the expression of many genes, including the Drosophila sex determination gene Sex-lethal (Sxl). Sxl expression is controlled via a negative regulatory mechanism where inclusion of the translation-terminating male exon is blocked in females. Previous studies have shown that the mechanism leading to exon skipping is autoregulatory and requires the SXL protein to antagonize exon inclusion by interacting with core spliceosomal proteins, including the U1 snRNP protein Sans-fille (SNF). In studies begun by screening for proteins that interact with SNF, we identified PPS, a previously uncharacterized protein, as a novel component of the machinery required for Sxl male exon skipping. PPS encodes a large protein with four signature motifs, PHD, BRK, TFS2M, and SPOC, typically found in proteins involved in transcription. We demonstrate that PPS has a direct role in Sxl male exon skipping by showing first that loss of function mutations have phenotypes indicative of Sxl misregulation and second that the PPS protein forms a complex with SXL and the unspliced Sxl RNA. In addition, we mapped the recruitment of PPS, SXL, and SNF along the Sxl gene using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), which revealed that, like many other splicing factors, these proteins bind their RNA targets while in close proximity to the DNA. Interestingly, while SNF and SXL are specifically recruited to their predicted binding sites, PPS has a distinct pattern of accumulation along the Sxl gene, associating with a region that includes, but is not limited to, the SxlPm promoter. Together, these data indicate that PPS is different from other splicing factors involved in male-exon skipping and suggest, for the first time, a functional link between transcription and SXL-mediated alternative splicing. Loss of zygotic PPS function, however, is lethal to both sexes, indicating that its role may be of broad significance.
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spelling doaj.art-557a33a006c7401ca458ef52b95a22da2022-12-21T19:28:57ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042010-03-0163e100087210.1371/journal.pgen.1000872PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.Matthew L JohnsonAlexis A NagengastHelen K SalzAlternative splicing controls the expression of many genes, including the Drosophila sex determination gene Sex-lethal (Sxl). Sxl expression is controlled via a negative regulatory mechanism where inclusion of the translation-terminating male exon is blocked in females. Previous studies have shown that the mechanism leading to exon skipping is autoregulatory and requires the SXL protein to antagonize exon inclusion by interacting with core spliceosomal proteins, including the U1 snRNP protein Sans-fille (SNF). In studies begun by screening for proteins that interact with SNF, we identified PPS, a previously uncharacterized protein, as a novel component of the machinery required for Sxl male exon skipping. PPS encodes a large protein with four signature motifs, PHD, BRK, TFS2M, and SPOC, typically found in proteins involved in transcription. We demonstrate that PPS has a direct role in Sxl male exon skipping by showing first that loss of function mutations have phenotypes indicative of Sxl misregulation and second that the PPS protein forms a complex with SXL and the unspliced Sxl RNA. In addition, we mapped the recruitment of PPS, SXL, and SNF along the Sxl gene using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), which revealed that, like many other splicing factors, these proteins bind their RNA targets while in close proximity to the DNA. Interestingly, while SNF and SXL are specifically recruited to their predicted binding sites, PPS has a distinct pattern of accumulation along the Sxl gene, associating with a region that includes, but is not limited to, the SxlPm promoter. Together, these data indicate that PPS is different from other splicing factors involved in male-exon skipping and suggest, for the first time, a functional link between transcription and SXL-mediated alternative splicing. Loss of zygotic PPS function, however, is lethal to both sexes, indicating that its role may be of broad significance.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2832672?pdf=render
spellingShingle Matthew L Johnson
Alexis A Nagengast
Helen K Salz
PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
PLoS Genetics
title PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
title_full PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
title_fullStr PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
title_full_unstemmed PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
title_short PPS, a large multidomain protein, functions with sex-lethal to regulate alternative splicing in Drosophila.
title_sort pps a large multidomain protein functions with sex lethal to regulate alternative splicing in drosophila
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2832672?pdf=render
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