hnRNP M interacts with PSF and p54(nrb) and co-localizes within defined nuclear structures

The abundant heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (hnRNP M) is able to associate with early spliceosomes and to influence splicing patterns of specific pre-mRNAs. Here, by a combination of immunoprecipitation and pull-down assays, we have identified PSF (polypyrimidine tract-binding protein-associated splicing factor) and p54(nrb), two highly related proteins involved in transcription and RNA processing, as new binding partners of hnRNP M. HnRNP M was found to co-localize with PSF within a subset of nuclear paraspeckles and to largely co-fractionate with PSF and p54(nrb) in biochemical nuclear matrix preparations. In cells transfected with an alternatively spliced preprotachykinin (PPT) minigene expression of hnRNP M promoted exon skipping while expression of PSF favours exon inclusion. The latter effect was reverted specifically by co-expressing the full length hnRNP M or a deletion mutant capable of interaction with PSF and p54(nrb). Together our data provide new insights and some functional implications on the hnRNP M network of interactions.