SRRM2 organizes splicing condensates to regulate alternative splicing

Nucleic Acids Res. 2022 Aug 26;50(15):8599-8614. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac669.

Abstract

SRRM2 is a nuclear-speckle marker containing multiple disordered domains, whose dysfunction is associated with several human diseases. Using mainly EGFP-SRRM2 knock-in HEK293T cells, we show that SRRM2 forms biomolecular condensates satisfying most hallmarks of liquid-liquid phase separation, including spherical shape, dynamic rearrangement, coalescence and concentration dependence supported by in vitro experiments. Live-cell imaging shows that SRRM2 organizes nuclear speckles along the cell cycle. As bona-fide splicing factor present in spliceosome structures, SRRM2 deficiency induces skipping of cassette exons with short introns and weak splice sites, tending to change large protein domains. In THP-1 myeloid-like cells, SRRM2 depletion compromises cell viability, upregulates differentiation markers, and sensitizes cells to anti-leukemia drugs. SRRM2 induces a FES splice isoform that attenuates innate inflammatory responses, and MUC1 isoforms that undergo shedding with oncogenic properties. We conclude that SRRM2 acts as a scaffold to organize nuclear speckles, regulating alternative splicing in innate immunity and cell homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Exons
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Introns
  • Protein Isoforms / metabolism
  • RNA Splicing*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Protein Isoforms
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • SRRM2 protein, human