Splicing factor SRSF6 promotes hyperplasia of sensitized skin

MA Jensen, JE Wilkinson, AR Krainer - Nature structural & molecular …, 2014 - nature.com
MA Jensen, JE Wilkinson, AR Krainer
Nature structural & molecular biology, 2014nature.com
Many biological processes involve gene-expression regulation by alternative splicing. Here,
we identify the splicing factor SRSF6 as a regulator of wound healing and tissue
homeostasis in skin. We show that SRSF6 is a proto-oncogene frequently overexpressed in
human skin cancer. Overexpressing it in transgenic mice induces hyperplasia of sensitized
skin and promotes aberrant alternative splicing. We identify 139 SRSF6-target genes in skin
and show that this SR-rich protein binds to alternative exons in the pre-mRNA of the …
Abstract
Many biological processes involve gene-expression regulation by alternative splicing. Here, we identify the splicing factor SRSF6 as a regulator of wound healing and tissue homeostasis in skin. We show that SRSF6 is a proto-oncogene frequently overexpressed in human skin cancer. Overexpressing it in transgenic mice induces hyperplasia of sensitized skin and promotes aberrant alternative splicing. We identify 139 SRSF6-target genes in skin and show that this SR-rich protein binds to alternative exons in the pre-mRNA of the extracellular-matrix protein tenascin C, thus promoting the expression of isoforms characteristic of invasive and metastatic cancer independently of cell type. SRSF6 overexpression additionally results in depletion of LGR6+ stem cells and excessive keratinocyte proliferation and response to injury. Furthermore, the effects of SRSF6 in wound healing assayed in vitro depend on the tenascin-C isoforms. Thus, abnormal SR-protein expression can perturb tissue homeostasis.
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