Publications by authors named "Saad Aldalaqan"
The cellular concentrations of splicing factors (SFs) are critical for controlling alternative splicing. Most serine and arginine-enriched (SR) protein SFs regulate their own concentration via a homeostatic feedback mechanism that involves regulation of inclusion of non-coding 'poison exons' (PEs) that target transcripts for nonsense-mediated decay. The importance of SR protein PE splicing during animal development is largely unknown despite PE ultra-conservation across animal genomes.
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- RBMXL2, a nuclear protein specific to germ cells, represses cryptic splicing during meiosis and is crucial for male fertility, while its similar counterpart RBMX regulates splicing in somatic cells.
- RBMX interacts with long exons and helps maintain genome stability by preventing the use of harmful splice sites, complementing the gene silencing that occurs during male meiosis.
- Both RBMX and RBMXL2 share parallel functions across somatic and germline tissues, suggesting their roles in splicing have been evolutionarily conserved for over 200 million years.
Article Synopsis
- High levels of transcription and alternative splicing occur during male meiosis, creating a favorable environment for gene expression in the testis.
- The RNA binding protein RBMXL2 is crucial for male meiosis, acting as a "guardian of the transcriptome" by preventing the use of harmful cryptic splice sites.
- This protective role of RBMXL2 during meiosis is linked to broader research on cryptic splicing control, which has implications for protecting neurons from diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's, highlighting its importance for sperm production and male fertility.