First Author | Traunmüller L | Year | 2016 |
Journal | Science | Volume | 352 |
Issue | 6288 | Pages | 982-6 |
PubMed ID | 27174676 | Mgi Jnum | J:232552 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5779565 | Doi | 10.1126/science.aaf2397 |
Citation | Traunmuller L, et al. (2016) Control of neuronal synapse specification by a highly dedicated alternative splicing program. Science 352(6288):982-6 |
abstractText | Alternative RNA splicing represents a central mechanism for expanding the coding power of genomes. Individual RNA-binding proteins can control alternative splicing choices in hundreds of RNA transcripts, thereby tuning amounts and functions of large numbers of cellular proteins. We found that the RNA-binding protein SLM2 is essential for functional specification of glutamatergic synapses in the mouse hippocampus. Genome-wide mapping revealed a markedly selective SLM2-dependent splicing program primarily consisting of only a few target messenger RNAs that encode synaptic proteins. Genetic correction of a single SLM2-dependent target exon in the synaptic recognition molecule neurexin-1 was sufficient to rescue synaptic plasticity and behavioral defects in Slm2 knockout mice. These findings uncover a highly selective alternative splicing program that specifies synaptic properties in the central nervous system. |