Drosha Promotes Splicing of a Pre-microRNA-like Alternative Exon

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004312
• Publication Date: 2014-05-01T20:35:30Z
• Authors: Mallory A. Havens; Ashley A. Reich; Michelle L. Hastings
• Keywords: Drosha; Exonic splicing enhancer; Minigene; Ribonuclease III; Exon skipping

The ribonuclease III enzyme Drosha has a central role in the biogenesis of microRNA (miRNA) by binding and cleaving hairpin structures primary RNA transcripts into precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). Many miRNA genes are located within protein-coding host cleaved manner that is coincident with splicing introns spliceosome. close proximity pre-miRNA suggests potential for co-regulation gene expression, though this relationship not completely understood. Here, we describe cleavage-independent an exon predicted structure resembling substrate. We find can cleave alternatively spliced 5 eIF4H both vitro cells. However, expression to promote 5. binds enhances depends on but cleavage Drosha. conclude function like enhancer inclusion. Our results reveal new mechanism alternative regulation involving splicing.