Allele-specific splicing effects on DKKL1 and ZNF419 transcripts in HeLa cells

作者：Martin Grace; Selcuklu S Duygu; Schouest Katherine; Nembaware Victoria; McKeown Peter C; Seoighe Cathal; Spillane Charles

来源：Gene, 2017, 598: 107-112.

DOI：10.1016/j.gene.2016.11.004

• Alternative splicing
• Minigene splicing reporter assay
• Single nucleotide polymorphisms
• Allele-specific

Allele-specific splicing is the production of different RNA isoforms from different alleles of a gene. Altered splicing patterns such as exon skipping can have a dramatic effect on the final protein product yet have traditionally proven difficult to predict. We investigated the splicing effects of a set of nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which are predicted to have a direct impact on mRNA splicing, each in a different gene. Predictions were based on SNP location relative to splice junctions and intronic/exonic splicing elements, combined with an analysis of splice isoform expression data from public sources. Of the nine genes tested, six SNPs led to direct impacts on mRNA splicing as determined by the splicing reporter minigene assay and RT-PCR in human HeLa cells, of which four were allele-specific effects. These included previously unreported alternative splicing patterns in the genes ZNF419 and DKKLI. Notably, the SNP in ZNF419, a transcription factor, leads to the deletion of a DNA binding domain from the protein and is associated with an expression QTL, while the SNP in DKKLI leads to shortened transcripts predicted to produce a truncated protein. We conclude that the impact of SNP mutations on mRNA splicing, and its biological relevance, can be predicted by integrating SNP position with available data on relative isoform abundance in human cell lines.

• 出版日期2017-1-20