CHERP Regulates the Alternative Splicing of pre-mRNAs in the Nucleus

Calcium homeostasis endoplasmic reticulum protein (CHERP) is colocalized with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) in the endoplasmic reticulum or perinuclear region, and has been involved in intracellular calcium signaling. Structurally, CHERP carries the nuclear localization signal and arginine/serine-dipeptide repeats, like domain, and interacts with the spliceosome. However, the exact function of CHERP in the nucleus remains unknown. Here, we showed that poly(A)(+) RNAs accumulated in the nucleus of CHERP-depleted U2OS cells. Our global analysis revealed that CHERP regulated alternative mRNA splicing events by interaction with U2 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (U2 snRNPs) and U2 snRNP-related proteins. Among the five alternative splicing patterns analyzed, intron retention was the most frequently observed event. This was in accordance with the accumulation of poly(A)(+) RNAs in the nucleus. Furthermore, intron retention and cassette exon choices were influenced by the strength of the 5′ or 3′ splice site, the branch point site, GC content, and intron length. In addition, CHERP depletion induced anomalies in the cell cycle progression into the M phase, and abnormal cell division. These results suggested that CHERP is involved in the regulation of alternative splicing.