Kritsanapol Boon-UngeQingming YuTie ZouAn ZhouPiyarat GovitrapongJianhua ZhouUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolMahidol University2018-08-242018-08-242007-12-26Chemistry and Biology. Vol.14, No.12 (2007), 1386-1392107455212-s2.0-37149011077https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/24325Exon 2 of the Bcl-x gene undergoes alternative splicing in which the Bcl-xS splice variant promotes apoptosis in contrast to the anti-apoptotic splice variant Bcl-xL. In this study, the regulation of the alternative splicing of pre-mRNA of Bcl-x was examined in response to emetine. Treatment of different types of cancer cells with emetine dihydrochloride downregulated the level of Bcl-xL mRNA with a concomitant increase in the mRNA level of Bcl-xS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with calyculin A, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), blocked emetine-induced alternative splicing in contrast to okadaic acid, a specific inhibitor of PP2A in cells, demonstrating a PP1-mediated mechanism. Our finding on the regulation of RNA splicing of members of the Bcl-2 family in response to emetine presents a potential target for cancer treatment. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Mahidol UniversityChemistryArticleSCOPUS10.1016/j.chembiol.2007.11.004