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Updated: May 13, 2026

Exploring Sequence Space to Identify Binding Sites for Regulatory RNA-Binding Proteins
Published on: August 9, 2019
The RNA-Binding Protein PARN Remodeled 3' UTR Structure Defines Poly(A)-Loading Sites to Mediate Immunoglobulin
Siyuan Sun1, Chen Yang2, Xiaoyu Wang3
1Key Laboratory of Precision Nutrition and Food Quality, Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Class Switch Recombination (CSR) is essential for generating high-affinity antibody isotypes from IgM during adaptive humoral responses. Despite well-established roles for various transcription factors, whether CSR is subject to dedicated post-transcriptional control represents a significant gap in knowledge. By integrating conditional knockout models with SLE disease contexts, this study is the first to identify that the RNA-binding protein, poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN), serves as a key positive regulator of antibody-secreting cell function. Mechanistically, PARN preferentially binds 3' UTRs and enhances the utilization of proximal poly(A) sites on a genome-wide scale in vivo. Further results show that PARN binds UGUA and AA(U/A)AAA upstream elements to form a specific spatial RNA-protein complex, through which it exerts exonuclease activity to shorten poly(A) tails, thereby decreasing mRNA stability. In addition, we identified a class of functional genes-including Foxp1-whose dynamic 3' UTR changes directly regulate antibody secretion. This study reports a novel post-transcriptional mechanism by which PARN promotes antibody production through modulation of 3' UTR length. These findings not only advance our understanding of humoral immune regulation but also highlight a potential therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases such as SLE.
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