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A drug-repositioning screen using splicing-sensitive fluorescent reporters identifies novel modulators of VEGF-A splicing with anti-angiogenic properties

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Star, Eleanor 
Stevens, Megan 
Gooding, Clare 
Smith, Christopher W. J.  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2753-3398
Li, Ling 

Abstract

Abstract: Alternative splicing of the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) terminal exon generates two protein families with differing functions. Pro-angiogenic VEGF-Axxxa isoforms are produced via selection of the proximal 3′ splice site of the terminal exon. Use of an alternative distal splice site generates the anti-angiogenic VEGF-Axxxb proteins. A bichromatic splicing-sensitive reporter was designed to mimic VEGF-A alternative splicing and was used as a molecular tool to further investigate this alternative splicing event. Part of VEGF-A’s terminal exon and preceding intron were inserted into a minigene construct followed by the coding sequences for two fluorescent proteins. A different fluorescent protein is expressed depending on which 3′ splice site of the exon is used during splicing (dsRED denotes VEGF-Axxxa and EGFP denotes VEGF-Axxxb). The fluorescent output can be used to follow splicing decisions in vitro and in vivo. Following successful reporter validation in different cell lines and altering splicing using known modulators, a screen was performed using the LOPAC library of small molecules. Alterations to reporter splicing were measured using a fluorescent plate reader to detect dsRED and EGFP expression. Compounds of interest were further validated using flow cytometry and assessed for effects on endogenous VEGF-A alternative splicing at the mRNA and protein level. Ex vivo and in vitro angiogenesis assays were used to demonstrate the anti-angiogenic effect of the compounds. Furthermore, anti-angiogenic activity was investigated in a Matrigel in vivo model. To conclude, we have identified a set of compounds that have anti-angiogenic activity through modulation of VEGF-A terminal exon splicing.

Description

Funder: RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000268


Funder: Diabetes UK; doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000361

Keywords

Article, /631/154/1435/2163, /631/67/1059/153, /13/106, /13/1, /13/31, /14/35, /14/19, /14/63, /38/90, /38/109, /64/110, article

Journal Title

Oncogenesis

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2157-9024

Volume Title

10

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group UK