RNA-Seq of 293T cells depleted of U2AF-related proteins

Characterization of RNA processing events dependent on U2AF-related proteins PUF60 and RBM39. PUF60 (poly-U-binding factor 60 kDa, also known as FIR, Hfp or Ro-bp1) is a splicing factor homologous to the 65 kD subunit of the auxiliary factor of U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (U2AF65). PUF60 has two central RNA recognition motifs and a C-terminal U2AF homology motif (UHM), but lacks the N terminal arginine/serine-rich (RS) and UHM ligand motif (ULM) domains present in U2AF65. PUF60 activity, in conjunction with U2AF, facilitates the association of U2 snRNP with the pre-mRNA. PUF60 and U2AF65 can bind SF3b155 ULMs simultaneously and noncompetitively. RBM39 (also known as CAPERa, HCC1, FSAP59 or RNPC2) is an RNA processing factor and a hormone-dependent transcriptional coactivator. RBM39 domain structure is similar to PUF60, except for the extra N-terminal RS domain with unknown function. To understand function of the two proteins on a genome-wide scale, each protein was individually depleted from human embryonic kidney cell line 293 using RNAi to systematically characterize the PUF60- and RBM39-dependent exon usage.