Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Merging Absolute and Relative Quantitative PCR Data to Quantify STAT3 Splice Variant Transcripts
11:19

Merging Absolute and Relative Quantitative PCR Data to Quantify STAT3 Splice Variant Transcripts

Published on: October 9, 2016

15.4K

PCBP1 inhibits the expression of oncogenic STAT3 isoform by targeting alternative splicing of STAT3 exon 23

Xiaole Wang1, Jihua Guo1,2, Xiaoxuan Che1

  • 1The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.

International Journal of Biological Sciences
|June 22, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Researchers discovered that PCBP1 regulates STAT3 splicing, switching from the oncogenic STAT3α isoform to the tumor-suppressive STAT3β isoform. This finding offers new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research
  • Gene Regulation

Background:

  • Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is crucial in tumor initiation and progression.
  • Existing therapies targeting STAT3 activation have limited clinical efficacy.
  • STAT3 exists in two isoforms, STAT3α (oncogenic) and STAT3β (tumor-suppressive), generated by alternative splicing of exon 23.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the regulatory mechanism of STAT3 alternative splicing at exon 23.
  • To identify key splicing factors involved in the STAT3 isoform switch.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of an exonic splicing suppressor (ESS) in STAT3 exon 23.
  • Investigation of the interaction between PCBP1 and the ESS.
  • Analysis of PCBP1 overexpression effects on STAT3 isoform ratios and cancer cell growth.

Main Results:

  • PCBP1 binds to the ESS in STAT3 exon 23.
  • PCBP1 overexpression significantly decreases the STAT3α/STAT3β ratio and STAT3α protein levels.
  • Increased PCBP1 inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma and breast cancer cell proliferation and reduces STAT3 target gene expression.

Conclusions:

  • PCBP1 acts as a critical splicing factor promoting the switch from oncogenic STAT3α to tumor-suppressive STAT3β.
  • PCBP1's role in regulating STAT3 isoforms presents a novel therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
Keywords:
Alternative splicingOncogenePCBP1STAT3head and neck cancer

More Related Videos

Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition11:48

Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Published on: October 9, 2014

13.3K
Identification of Alternative Splicing and Polyadenylation in RNA-seq Data08:35

Identification of Alternative Splicing and Polyadenylation in RNA-seq Data

Published on: June 24, 2021

6.4K

Related Concept Videos

Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
24.7K
Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

5.0K
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
60.4K
What is Gene Expression?01:42

What is Gene Expression?

Overview
Gene expression is the process in which DNA directs the synthesis of functional products, that is, proteins. Cells can regulate gene expression at various stages. It allows organisms to generate different cell types and enables cells to adapt to internal and external factors.
Genetic Information Flows from DNA to RNA to Protein
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is made up of nucleotides and proteins consist of amino...
195.1K
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
4.1K
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps02:24

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
25.8K