RBM39 Modulates UPR Signaling Through Alternative Splicing of IRE1α/ERN1 [Spliceosome_Inhibition_RNA-Seq]

However, upstream mechanisms regulating this pathway remain incompletely defined. Here, we apply CRASP-Seq, a scalable RNA-coupled CRISPR screening platform, to systematically identify regulators of XBP1 splicing.

We uncover the U2 snRNP auxiliary factor RBM39 as a critical positive regulator of this process. Perturbation of RBM39 or U2 snRNP components induces alternative splicing of ERN1, leading to exon-18 skipping and the production of an unstable transcript subject to nonsense-mediated decay, as well as a truncated IRE1α isoform that acts in a dominant-negative manner to suppress XBP1 splicing. Mechanistically, we show that heat shock reduces RBM39 functional activity and promotes ERN1 exon-18 skipping, thereby attenuating IRE1α–XBP1 signaling.