Cited by 3,083Circular RNAs in diseasesRNA Research and SplicingRNA regulation and disease

circRNA biogenesis competes with pre-mRNA splicing

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Ashwal-Fluss, Reut, Meyer, Markus, Pamudurti, Nagarjuna Reddy, Ivanov, Andranik, Bartok, Osnat, Hanan, Mor, Evantal, Naveh, Memczak, Sebastian +2 more·2014·Molecular Cell

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are widely expressed noncoding RNAs. However, their biogenesis and possible functions are poorly understood. Here, by studying circRNAs that we identified in neuronal tissues, we provide evidence that animal circRNAs are generated cotranscriptionally and that their production rate is mainly determined by intronic sequences. We demonstrate that circularization and splicing compete against each other. These mechanisms are tissue specific and conserved in animals. Interestingly, we observed that the second exon of the splicing factor muscleblind (MBL/MBNL1) is circularized in flies and humans. This circRNA (circMbl) and its flanking introns contain conserved muscleblind binding sites, which are strongly and specifically bound by MBL. Modulation of MBL levels strongly affects circMbl biosynthesis, and this effect is dependent on the MBL binding sites. Together, our data suggest that circRNAs can function in gene regulation by competing with linear splicing. Furthermore, we identified muscleblind as a factor involved in circRNA biogenesis.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.08.019

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  • Transcription speed directly correlates with the circularization efficiency of circRNAs.

    “Moreover, the use of slow and fast RNA Pol II mutants has shown that transcription speed directly correlates with the circularization efficiency of circRNAs (Ashwal‐Fluss et al, 2014; Zhang et al, 2016).”

    From RNA polymerase II speed: a key player in controlling and adapting transcriptome composition (2021) · cites this paper as Ashwal‐Fluss et al, 2014

  • CircMBL contains conserved MBL/MBNL1 RNA binding sites derived from the second exon of the MBL mRNA; specific binding of circMBL to MBL mRNA regulates gene expression by inhibiting linear splicing of the MBL mRNA.

    “Circular MBL (circMBL) contains conserved muscleblind (MBL/MBNL1) RNA binding sites, which are derived from the second exon of the MBL mRNA.The specific binding of circMBL to MBL mRNA regulates gene expression by inhibiting the linear splicing of the MBL mRNA [65].”
  • Processing of linear mRNAs competes with the processing of circRNAs, resulting in a negative correlation between the splicing efficiency of certain genes and the generation of circRNAs.

    “Processing of linear mRNAs competes with the processing of circRNAs, resulting in a negative correlation between the splicing efficiency of certain genes and the generation of circRNAs [65].”
  • More than half of 15,849 mouse circRNAs, which are highly abundant, conserved, and dynamically expressed in the brain, are upregulated during the maturation of neurons.

    “A study by Rybak et al. demonstrated that more than half of 15,849 mouse circRNAs, which are highly abundant, conserved, and dynamically expressed in the brain, are upregulated during the maturation of neurons [62,65].”

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Authors
Ashwal-Fluss, R., Meyer, M., Pamudurti, N. R., Ivanov, A., Bartok, O., Hanan, M., Evantal, N., Memczak, S., Rajewsky, N., & Kadener, S.
Affiliations
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
  • Max Delbrück Center (DE)
Corresponding author
Rajewsky, Nikolaus
Venue
Molecular Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2014-10
Volume
56
Issue
1
Pages
55-66
ISSN
1097-2765 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2054891772
Cited by
3,083
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 102 · 2025: 199 · 2024: 278 · 2023: 297 · 2022: 382 · 2021: 486 · 2020: 447 · 2019: 332 · 2018: 243 · 2017: 167 · 2016: 81 · 2015: 55 · 2014: 10
FWCI
42.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • MDC Repository (Max-Delbrueck-Center for Molecular Medicine) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (RA-838/7-1)
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Circular RNAs in diseases
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA regulation and disease
Keywords
circular RNA biogenesis, pre-mRNA splicing, introns, neuronal tissue, tissue-specific gene regulation, non-coding RNA
MeSH terms
RNA, Circular, Animals, Cells, Cultured, Drosophila, Humans, Models, Genetic, Nuclear Proteins, RNA, RNA Precursors, RNA Splicing, RNA, Messenger, Transcription, Genetic, Drosophila Proteins, HEK293 Cells

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