Far upstream element-binding protein 1 and RNA secondary structure both mediate second-step splicing repression

Splicing of mRNA precursors consists of two steps that are almost invariably tightly coupled to facilitate efficient generation of spliced mRNA. However, we described previously a splicing substrate that is completely blocked after the first step. We have now investigated the basis for this unusual second-step inhibition and unexpectedly elucidated two independent mechanisms. One involves a stem-loop structure located downstream of the 3' splice site, and the other involves an exonic splicing silencer (ESS) situated 3' to the structure. Both elements contribute to the second-step block in vitro and also cause exon skipping in vivo. Importantly, we identified far upstream element-binding protein 1 (FUBP1), a single-stranded DNA- and RNA-binding protein not previously implicated in splicing, as a strong ESS binding protein, and several assays implicate it in ESS function. We demonstrate using depletion/add-back experiments that FUBP1 acts as a second-step repressor in vitro and show by siRNA-mediated knockdown and overexpression assays that it modulates exon inclusion in vivo. Together, our results provide additional insights into splicing control, and identify FUBP1 as a splicing regulator.