Omics · study · 2026
CELF2-dependent RNA regulation supports cortical architecture and synaptic stability during early brain development [RNAseq]
Listed in NCBI GEO
Neurodevelopment relies on precise post-transcriptional regulation to coordinate neuronal differentiation, migration, and circuit formation.
Description
The CUGBP Elav-like family member 2 (CELF2) is an RNA-binding protein with established roles in alternative splicing and mRNA regulation, yet its function in the developing brain remains poorly defined. Here, we investigated the role of CELF2 during early postnatal neurodevelopment using a constitutive Celf2 knockout mouse model.
Celf2 knockout pups exhibited neonatal lethality accompanied by impaired neuronal maturation and disrupted cortical organization. Bulk RNA sequencing revealed widespread transcriptional dysregulation, while splicing analyses identified reduced exon inclusion in multiple neurodevelopmental transcripts following CELF2 loss. Notably, Camk2a transcript and protein levels were markedly reduced in knockout brains, consistent with CELF2 binding to the Camk2a 3′UTR.
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Functional studies in Caenorhabditis elegans demonstrated that expression of human CAMK2A partially rescued synaptic puncta deficits in unc-75 (CELF ortholog) mutants, supporting a conserved role for CELF-family proteins in synaptic maturation. Histological analyses revealed reductions in Nestin- and Doublecortin-positive immature neurons, thinning of upper cortical layers, and decreased CAMK2A expression. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing further revealed selective reductions in upper layer II/III excitatory neuron populations in the cortex.
Together, these findings establish CELF2 as a critical post-transcriptional regulator required for neuronal maturation and architectural stability during early brain development and highlight how disruption of RNA regulatory programs may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Links
Get the data
- GEO FTP directory ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/series/GSE319nnn/GSE319281 ↗
download · from NCBI GEO
Where it is published
- GEO accession page ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE319281 ↗
landing page · from NCBI GEO
Documentation and papers
- PRJNA1422741 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA1422741 ↗
project · from NCBI GEO
- PubMed 42189331 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42189331 ↗
publication · from NCBI GEO
Topics
- Stated by source
- Expression profiling by high throughput sequencing · Mus musculus
- From keywords
- Life Sciences
- Inferred from text
- RNA sequencing 75% · Sequencing 75%
Provenance · 1 source records, 9 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCBI GEO | GSE319281 | 12 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| access_level | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:life-sciences | mapping · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[method].geo_series_type:expression-profiling-by-high-throughput-sequencing | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | /gdstype |
| concepts[modality].local:modality:rna-seq | enrichment · NCBI GEO | keyword-concept-rules@1.0.0 | title+description (75%) |
| concepts[modality].local:modality:sequencing | enrichment · NCBI GEO | keyword-concept-rules@1.0.0 | title+description (75%) |
| concepts[organism].NCBITaxon:10090 | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | /taxon |
| description | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | /summary |
| publication_date | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · NCBI GEO | connector:ncbi_geo@1.0.0 | /title |