Altered splicing of CEACAM1 in breast cancer: identification of regulatory sequences that control splicing of CEACAM1 into long or short cytoplasmic domain isoforms.
BACKGROUND
Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1), a cell adhesion molecule expressed in a variety of cell types is a putative tumor suppressor gene. Alternative splicing of CEACAM1 generates 11 different splice variants, which include 1-4 ectodomains with either short or long cytoplasmic domain generated by the exclusion (CEACAM1-S) or inclusion (CEACAM1-L) of exon 7. Studies in rodents indicate that optimal ratios of CEACAM1 splice variants are required to inhibit colonic tumor cell growth.


RESULTS
We show that CEACAM1 is expressed in a tissue specific manner with significant differences in the ratios of its short (CEACAM1-S) and long (CEACAM1-L) cytoplasmic domain splice variants. Importantly, we find dramatic differences between the ratios of S:L isoforms in normal breast tissues versus breast cancer specimens, suggesting that altered splicing of CEACAM1 may play an important role in tumorogenesis. Furthermore, we have identified two regulatory cis-acting elements required for the alternative splicing of CEACAM1. Replacement of these regulatory elements by human beta-globin exon sequences resulted in exon 7-skipped mRNA as the predominant product. Interestingly, while insertion of exon 7 in a beta-globin reporter gene resulted in its skipping, exon 7 along with the flanking intron sequences recapitulated the alternative splicing of CEACAM1.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that a network of regulatory elements control the alternative splicing of CEACAM1. These findings may have important implications in therapeutic modalities of CEACAM1 linked human diseases.
Gaur
Shikha
S
Division of Molecular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA. sgaur@coh.org
Shively
John E
JE
Yen
Yun
Y
Gaur
Rajesh K
RK
D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid
D015703:Antigens, CD; C069847:CD66 antigens; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D020033:Protein Isoforms