Abstract:
Through regulating the post-transcriptional maturation of UsnRNAs (U-rich small nuclear RNAs), integrator complex has an effect on the intron splicing of pre-mRNA. Therefore, integrator complex plays an important role in the production of mature mRNA. However, the regulation and developmental functions of integrator complex are poorly understood in vertebrates. In this study, zebrafish (
Danio rerio) was used to generate the
ints12 knockout model by CRISPR/Cas9, and two homozygous lines were generated with different frame-shifts. Observation on the misprocessing of UsnRNA 3′ ends in zygotic mutant of
ints12 (
Zints12) was conducted through real-time quantitative PCR analysis. When compared with the control fish, the overall growth of
Zints12 was largely retarded, and the
Zints12 population was all-male. Further studies showed that cell proliferation was significantly interfered, and the level of introns retention of
ints12 transcripts was significantly increased in
Zints12, suggesting an " auto-regulation loop” in the splicing regulation by
ints12. Overall, we obtained homozygous mutants of zebrafish
ints12 by gene knockout technology and revealed that zebrafish
ints12 regulates UsnRNA 3′-box processing to exert various effects on early embryonic development and body growth.