Open AccessERG transcription factors have a splicing regulatory function involving RBFOX2 that is altered in the EWS-FLI1 oncogenic fusion
Author(s) -
Olivier Saulnier,
Katia Guedri-Idjouadiene,
Marie-Ming Aynaud,
Alina Chakraborty,
Jonathan Bruyr,
Judith Pineau,
Tina O’Grady,
Olivier Mirabeau,
Sandrine Grossetête,
Bartimée Galvan,
M. Gustafsson Claes,
Zahra Al Oula Hassoun,
Benjamin Sadacca,
Karine Laud,
Sakina Zaïdi,
Didier Surdez,
Sylvain Baulande,
Xavier Rambout,
Franck Tirode,
Martin Dutertre,
Olivier Delattre,
Samuel Dequiedt
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nucleic acids research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.008
H-Index - 537
eISSN - 1362-4954
pISSN - 0305-1048
DOI - 10.1093/nar/gkab305
Subject(s) - fli1 , minigene , rna splicing , alternative splicing , biology , exon , transcription factor , zebrafish , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , rna
ERG family proteins (ERG, FLI1 and FEV) are a subfamily of ETS transcription factors with key roles in physiology and development. In Ewing sarcoma, the oncogenic fusion protein EWS-FLI1 regulates both transcription and alternative splicing of pre-messenger RNAs. However, whether wild-type ERG family proteins might regulate splicing is unknown. Here, we show that wild-type ERG proteins associate with spliceosomal components, are found on nascent RNAs, and induce alternative splicing when recruited onto a reporter minigene. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that ERG and FLI1 regulate large numbers of alternative spliced exons (ASEs) enriched with RBFOX2 motifs and co-regulated by this splicing factor. ERG and FLI1 are associated with RBFOX2 via their conserved carboxy-terminal domain, which is present in EWS-FLI1. Accordingly, EWS-FLI1 is also associated with RBFOX2 and regulates ASEs enriched in RBFOX2 motifs. However, in contrast to wild-type ERG and FLI1, EWS-FLI1 often antagonizes RBFOX2 effects on exon inclusion. In particular, EWS-FLI1 reduces RBFOX2 binding to the ADD3 pre-mRNA, thus increasing its long isoform, which represses the mesenchymal phenotype of Ewing sarcoma cells. Our findings reveal a RBFOX2-mediated splicing regulatory function of wild-type ERG family proteins, that is altered in EWS-FLI1 and contributes to the Ewing sarcoma cell phenotype.