Multiple factors influence the normal and UV-inducible alternative splicing of PIG3

In addition to normal alternative splicing events (those that take place in untreated cells), there are also those that are inducible in response to environmental stimuli. We previously reported that the alternative splicing of p53-inducible gene 3 (PIG3) exon 4 is modulated in response to UV radiation. Here, we investigate the mechanisms mediating the alternative splicing of this exon. Through the use of various minigene constructs our results reveal that numerous factors influence the normal alternative splicing of PIG3 exon 4, and that these ultimately affect its UV-inducible alternative splicing. Included among these are sequence elements located within exon 4 itself as well as adjacent sequences required for intron definition (the pyrimidine tract, 3′- and 5′-splice sites). Within exon 4, we identified a novel hnRNP A1-dependent exonic splicing silencer (ESS) whose mutation inhibited the alternative splicing of a PIG3 minigene. Although previously implicated in the UV-inducible alternative splicing of other transcripts, RNAi-mediated silencing of hnRNP A1/A2 or hSlu7 did not prevent the UV-enhancement of exon 4 skipping. Overall, our results suggest that numerous factors contribute to the normal alternative splicing of PIG3 exon 4 and that UV-inducible increases in this process require that the splicing of this exon be maintained in a sufficiently weakened state under normal conditions.