title: Redundant intronic repressors function to inhibit fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 alpha-exon recognition in glioblastoma cells.
abstract: The human fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 primary transcript is alternatively processed to produce receptor forms that vary in their affinity for fibroblast growth factor. The inclusion of a single exon (alpha) in normal brain glial cells produces a low affinity form of the receptor. Recognition of the alpha-exon is dysregulated during neoplastic transformation of glial cells to produce a high affinity receptor form. In this study, we have identified a second intronic repressor of RNA splicing located approximately 250 nucleotides upstream of the alpha-exon. Deletion or mutation of this sequence resulted in a significant increase in exon recognition in glioblastoma cells. This intronic repressor was found to share significant sequence homology with an intronic repressor element located downstream of the alpha-exon. The two repressor elements are functionally redundant in that they are capable of inhibiting alpha-exon recognition when positioned upstream or downstream of the exon. Finally, the elements were found to mediate enhanced exclusion of an unrelated exon, but only the repressors were placed flanking the exon. However, under these conditions, the cell-specific exon exclusion was no longer maintained. These results suggest that although the alpha-exon inclusion is actively repressed in glioblastomas, the absence of trans-activators appears to be key to the production of the high affinity form of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 in glioblastomas.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Department of Medical Specialties, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cote
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051381:Rats; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; C496348:FGFR1 protein, human; C496350:Fgfr1 protein, rat; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1