title: Regulation of the mutually exclusive exons 8a and 8 in the CaV1.2 calcium channel transcript by polypyrimidine tract-binding protein.
abstract: CaV1.2 calcium channels play roles in diverse cellular processes such as gene regulation, muscle contraction, and membrane excitation and are diversified in their activity through extensive alternative splicing of the CaV1.2 mRNA. The mutually exclusive exons 8a and 8 encode alternate forms of transmembrane segment 6 (IS6) in channel domain 1. The human genetic disorder Timothy syndrome is caused by mutations in either of these two CaV1.2 exons, resulting in disrupted Ca(2+) homeostasis and severe pleiotropic disease phenotypes. The tissue-specific pattern of exon 8/8a splicing leads to differences in symptoms between patients with exon 8 or 8a mutations. Elucidating the mechanisms controlling the exon 8/8a splicing choice will be important in understanding the spectrum of defects associated with the disease. We found that the polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB) mediates a switch from exon 8 to 8a splicing. PTB and its neuronal homolog, nPTB, are widely studied splicing regulators controlling large sets of alternative exons. During neuronal development, PTB expression is down-regulated with a concurrent increase in nPTB expression. Exon 8a is largely repressed in embryonic mouse brain but is progressively induced during neuronal differentiation as PTB is depleted. This splicing repression is mediated by the direct binding of PTB to sequence elements upstream of exon 8a. The nPTB protein is a weaker repressor of exon 8a, resulting in a shift in exon choice when nPTB replaces PTB in cells. These results provide mechanistic understanding of how these two exons, important for human disease, are controlled.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Zhen Zhi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Shalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Sika
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Geetanjali
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nikolic
authors.forename: Douglas L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons / Q000502:physiology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D038941:Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D013576:Syndactyly / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C514350:CACNA1C protein, mouse; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C504334:PTBP2 protein, human; C429773:Ptbp2 protein, mouse; D038941:Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein; D002118:Calcium