Authors: Lamya Ben Ameur, Paul Marie, Morgan Thenoz, Guillaume Giraud, Emmanuel Combe, Jean-Baptiste Claude, Sebastien Lemaire, Nicolas Fontrodona, Hélène Polveche, Marine Bastien, Antoine Gessain, Eric Wattel, Cyril F. Bourgeois, Didier Auboeuf, Franck Mortreux
Published: 2020-06-16
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16853-x
Source: Full article
AbstractChronic NF-κB activation in inflammation and cancer has long been linked to persistent activation of NF-κB–responsive gene promoters. However, NF-κB factors also massively bind to gene bodies. Here, we demonstrate that recruitment of the NF-κB factor RELA to intragenic regions regulates alternative splicing upon NF-κB activation by the viral oncogene Tax of HTLV-1. Integrative analyses of RNA splicing and chromatin occupancy, combined with chromatin tethering assays, demonstrate that DNA-bound RELA interacts with and recruits the splicing regulator DDX17, in an NF-κB activation-dependent manner. This leads to alternative splicing of target exons due to the RNA helicase activity of DDX17. Similar results were obtained upon Tax-independent NF-κB activation, indicating that Tax likely exacerbates a physiological process where RELA provides splice target specificity. Collectively, our results demonstrate a physical and direct involvement of NF-κB in alternative splicing regulation, which significantly revisits our knowledge of HTLV-1 pathogenesis and other NF-κB-related diseases.