The association of MEG3 lncRNA with nuclear speckles in living cells

Abstract

Nuclear speckles are nuclear bodies containing RNA-binding proteins as well as RNAs including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). MEG3 is a nuclear retained lncRNA that was identified to be associated with nuclear speck-les. To understand the association dynamics of MEG3 lncRNA with nuclear speckles in living cells we generated a fluorescently-tagged MEG3 transcript that could be detected in real-time. Under regular conditions, transient association of MEG3 with nuclear speckles was observed, including a nucleoplasmic fraction. Conditions under which transcription or splicing were inactive, which are known to affect nuclear speckle structure, showed prominent and increased association of MEG3 lncRNA with the nuclear speckles, specifically forming a ring-like structure around the nuclear speckles. This contrasted with MALAT1 lncRNA that is normally highly associated with nuclear speckles, which was released and dispersed in the nucleoplasm. Under normal conditions MEG3 dynamically associated with the periphery of the nuclear speckles, but under transcription or splicing inhibition, MEG3 could also enter the center of the nuclear speckle. Altogether, using live-cell imaging approaches we find that MEG3 lncRNA is a transient resident of nuclear speckles and that its association with this nuclear body is modulated by the levels of transcription and splicing activities in the cell.