Transcriptome-wide modulation of splicing by the exon junction complex

BACKGROUND: The exon junction complex (EJC) is a dynamic multi-protein complex deposited onto nuclear spliced mRNAs upstream of exon-exon junctions. The four core proteins, eIF4A3, Magoh, Y14 and MLN51, are stably bound to mRNAs during their lifecycle, serving as a binding platform for other nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Recent evidence has shown that the EJC is involved in the splicing regulation of some specific events in both Drosophila and mammalian cells. RESULTS: Here, we show that knockdown of EJC core proteins causes widespread alternative splicing changes in mammalian cells. These splicing changes are specific to EJC core proteins, as knockdown of eIF4A3, Y14 and MLN51 shows similar splicing changes, and are different from knockdown of other splicing factors. The splicing changes can be rescued by a siRNA-resistant form of eIF4A3, indicating an involvement of EJC core proteins in regulating alternative splicing. Finally, we find that the splicing changes are linked with RNA polymerase II elongation rates. CONCLUSION: Taken together, this study reveals that the coupling between EJC proteins and splicing is broader than previously suspected, and that a possible link exists between mRNP assembly and splice site recognition. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-014-0551-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.