Protein Prp22 is a DEAH box RNA helicase, which plays two distinct roles in pre-mRNA splicing: it participates in second transesterification step (ATP independent function) and it releases mature mRNA from the spliceosome (ATP dependent function). Prp45p, yeast ortholog of the human transcription co-regulator SNW/SKIP, is an essential splicing factor, it is included in spliceosome throughout the splicing reaction. Mutant prp45(1-169) genetically interacts with some alleles of NTC complex and second step splicing factors, one of them is also gene PRP22. Here we present, that mutants prp22(-158T) and prp22(-327A), which are synthetically lethal with prp45(1-169), express lower amount of Prp22p due to the mutation in upstream regulation region. Mutants prp22(-158T), prp22(300PPI) and prp22(-327A) affect splicing of pre-mRNA with mutation in 5'ss with respect to sequence of the second exon. N-terminal mutants prp22(∆301) and prp22(∆350) are synthetically lethal with prp45(1-169). Synthetic lethality is possibly caused by lower efficiency of Prp22 recruitment to the spliceosomes, which is no more viable for cells.

In my thesis, I focused on several underexplored areas of RNA splicing regulation. In the first part, I analyzed how chromatin and transcription regulatory elements change pre-mRNA splicing. In the second part, I studied why long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are spliced less efficiently than protein-coding mRNAs. Finally, I was testing the importance of intron for the activating function of lncRNAs. It has been shown that chromatin and promoter identity modulate alternative splicing decisions. Here, I tested whether local chromatin and distant genomic elements that influence transcription can also modulate splicing. Using the chromatin modifying enzymes directly targeted to FOSL1 gene by TALE technology, I showed that changes in histone H3K9 methylation affect constitutive splicing. Furthermore, I provide evidence that deletion of transcription enhancer located several kilobases upstream of an alternative exons changes splicing pattern of the alternative exon. Many nascent lncRNAs undergo the same maturation steps as pre-mRNAs of protein- coding genes (PCGs), but they are often poorly spliced. To identify the underlying mechanisms for this phenomenon, we searched for putative splicing inhibitory sequences. Genome-wide analysis of intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs) revealed that, in general, they do not...

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The splicing of pre-mRNA transcripts is catalyzed by a huge and dynamic machinery called spliceosome. The spliceosomal complex consists of five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) particles and hundreds of non-snRNP proteins. Biogenesis of spliceosomal snRNPs is a multi-step process, the final steps of which take place in a specialized sub-nuclear compartment, the Cajal body. However, molecular details of snRNP targeting to the Cajal body remain mostly unclear. Our previous results revealed that SART3 protein is important for accumulation of U4, U5 and U6 snRNPs in Cajal bodies, but how SART3 binds snRNP particles is elusive. SART3 has been identified as a U6 snRNP interaction partner and U4/U6 di-snRNP assembly factor. Here, we show that SART3 interacts with U2 snRNP as well, and that it binds specifically immature U2 particles. Next, we provide evidence that SART3 associates with U2 snRNP via Sm proteins, which are components of the stable snRNP core and are present in four out of five major snRNPs (i.e. in U1, U2, U4 and U5). We propose that the interaction between SART3 and Sm proteins represents a general SART3-snRNP binding mechanism, how SART3 recognizes immature snRNPs and quality controls the snRNP assembly process in Cajal bodies.

Pre-mRNA splicing is a vital process of gene expression important for all eukaryotic organisms. For the proper function of this very complex and dynamic event the presence of few specialized RNA and many proteins that hold a variety of tasks is necessary, not only inside the splicing complex itself, but also beyond this complex. The Prp45 is one of the proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Its human homologue, SNW1/SKIP, is involved in splicing but also in other crucial cell processes. The Prp45 protein was reliably reported only to participate in the second transesterification reaction of splicing. But there are also data suggesting its possible involvement in the first transesterification reaction. This work provides further evidences linking protein Prp45 with the first splicing reaction, obtained by the research of cells carrying the mutant allele prp45(1-169). Cells carrying this allele show dropped splicing and accumulation of pre-mRNAs. This thesis therefore also investigated the possible influence of Prp45 protein on the RNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. But no connection between this protein and RNA transport was discovered. Keywords pre-mRNA splicing; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Prp45; Mer1; Mud2; Prp22; Rrp6; AMA1; SNW1/SKIP

hPrp8 is an essential pre-mRNA splicing factor. This highly conserved protein is a component of the U5 small ribonucleoprotein particle (U5 snRNP), which constitutes one of the building blocks of the spliceosome. hPrp8 acts as a key regulator of spliceosome activation and interacts directly with U5 snRNA and with the regions of pre-mRNA that are involved in the transesterification reactions during splicing. Mutations in hPrp8 have been shown to cause an autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited disease leading to progressive degeneration of retina. In this study, we analyzed the effects of the RP-associated mutations on the function of hPrp8. Using BAC recombineering, we created mutant variants of hPrp8-GFP construct and we generated stable cell lines expressing the recombinant proteins. The mutant proteins were expressed and localized to the nucleus. However, one of the missense mutations affected the localization and stability of hPrp8. Further experiments suggested that RP-associated mutations affect the ability of hPrp8 to interact with other components of the U5 snRNP and with pre-mRNA. We further studied the biogenesis of U5 snRNP. We depleted hPrp8 by siRNA to interfere with U5 snRNP assembly and we observed that the incompletely assembled U5 snRNPs accumulate in...

In the process of pre-mRNA splicing introns are removed from pre-mRNA and exons are joined together. Current studies show, that about 95 % of genes, which contain more than two exons, can undergo alternative splicing. In this process some exons are included in or excluded from the final mRNA. Majority of pre-mRNA splicing take place co- transcriptionaly at this time RNA polymerase II is still attached to pre-mRNA. Alternative splicing is complex process that takes place in a close proximity of DNA and histones that might modulate alternative splicing decisions. Futher studies have validated fibronectin gene (FN1) and his alternative exons EDA and EDB (extra domain A and B) as suitably model for studying alternative splicing. Study using FN1 minigene reporter system, which is composed from EDA exon and two surrounding introns and exons, has proved that insertion of transcription enhancer SV40 infront of promotor, the level of EDA inclusion is decreased. So far, has not been prooved if this mechanism can function in real genome context and if distal transcription elements can influence alternative splicing. In this study, we have predicted transcription enhancer for FN1 gene by using The Ensemble Regulatory Build and FANTOM 5. The predicted transcription enhancer, is located 23,5 kbp upstream of TSS...

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Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is an inherited disease characterized by myotonia, insulin resistance, cardiomyopathy, and cognitive deficiencies. DM is a triplet repeat disorder, meaning that affected individuals carry anywhere between 50 and thousands of CTG/CCTG repeats in their genetic makeup. When transcribed into RNA, these repeats become “toxic” in the sense that they serve to bind and sequester important RNA binding proteins. One such family of proteins, the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) family, is important in the regulation of alternative mRNA splicing, and thus the sequestration of MBNL proteins leads to a number of mis-splicing events. Many of these events are directly correlated to DM symptoms. While there is no known cure for DM, the use of small molecules to treat symptoms is a well-characterized therapeutic tactic with immense promise. Pentamidine is a small molecule that was found to reverse mis-splicing in both DM cell and mouse models. Mechanistically, this molecule is particularly unique because unlike many small molecules, which physically displace MBNL from the toxic CUG RNA, pentamidine reduces CUG RNA levels, possibly through inhibition of CTG transcription. Chapter I summarizes alternative splicing mechanisms and regulation, defines MBNL protein structure and function, describes DM pathophysiology and molecular mechanism, and finally provides an overview of pentamidine characterization as a small molecule therapeutic. Chapter II reports the development of an in vitro T7 transcription assay, which allowed us to compare the relative efficacy by which pentamidine is able to inhibit the transcription of various repeat and non-repeat DNA sequences. This chapter further reports the characterization of a series of methylene linker analogues of pentamidine, which were also characterized through the T7 transcription assay. Chapter III details our thorough structure-activity relationship investigation of bisbenzamidine analogues of pentamidine, both in in vivo and in vitro models. Chapter IV describes our characterization of actinomycin D, a known transcription inhibitor and chemotherapeutic, within the DM disease framework. Chapter V summarizes these data, which ultimately serve as a proof of concept for the potential of CTG transcription inhibition in therapeutic contexts and broadly describe their application in other repeat diseases. This dissertation contains previously published and unpublished co-authored material. / 10000-01-01