Abstract:
In response to the accumulation of unfolded protein in the endoplasmic reticulum
(ER), eukaryotic cells activate an intracellular signaling pathway termed unfolded
protein response (UPR) by increasing transcription induction of ER-resident proteins
such as molecular chaperones and folding enzymes. A key step of this pathway is an
unconventional splicing of X-box binding protein-1 (XBP1) mRNA encoding a basic
leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor that activates the transcription of the UPR
responsive genes. Interestingly, the unconventional splicing of the XBP1 mRNA
results in a frame shift of its translation Open Reading Frame (ORF) downstream of
the splicing junction. This leads to amino acid changes at the C-terminal region that
exhibits higher transcriptional activation properties. Transcription induction of XBP1
mRNA during ER stress has been reported in various species as intermediate event of
the UPR.
In this study, we identified and characterized a putative XBP1 in insect cells
using Drosophila melanogaster CRL 1963 as a model organism. RT-PCR analysis and
DNA sequencing revealed the splicing of the potential 23 nt intron from the putative
dXBP1 mRNA. Moreover, in vitro cleavage approach was employed to demonstrate
that dXBP1 was specifically cleaved by hIre1αp IP in vitro at the predicted splicing
junction. Unlike mammalian XBP1, transcription of dXBP1 itself is not induced during
ER stress. Endogenous dXBP1 protein (from spliced dXBP1) was expressed
exclusively in ER stress condition similar to those observed in mammalian species.
Luciferase reporter assay was used to demonstrate that only dXBP1s functions as
transcriptional activator to activate the UPR responsive genes through ERSE cis-acting
element. This result supported the hypothesis that ER stress regulated splicing of
intron from dXBP1 mRNA leading to production of a transcription factor is a
mechanism to moderate insect UPR.