Modulation of PDCD1 exon 3 splicing

Abstract

The PDCD1 gene encodes PD-1, an important immune checkpoint protein and key immunotherapy target to treat cancer. PDCD1 is alternatively spliced to generate an exon 3-skipped isoform PD-1Δ3 that has been suggested to play an antagonistic role to PD-1, but the mechanism underlying alternative splicing of PDCD1 has never been explored. Here using a minigene system, we analysed the splicing pattern of PDCD1 in multiple cell lines and confirmed exon 3 skipping as the main alternative splicing event. Using deletion analysis of exon 3, we mapped two splicing enhancers in the exon: ESE3a and ESE3b. Using mutagenesis, RNA-affinity chromatography, mass spectrometry as well as depletion and overexpression of MATR3, we defined MATR3 as a splicing activator during PDCD1 exon 3 splicing that operates through binding to ESE3b. MATR3’s splicing-stimulatory activity is counteracted by an RNA secondary structure around ESE3b and an RNA helicase DDX5. Furthermore, we identified ASOs that efficiently promotes PDCD1 exon 3 skipping in both minigene and endogenous-gene contexts. Our data support further study of the ASOs as potential drug candidates to treat cancer.