Polyamines regulate alternative splicing!

In addition to their role in energy homeostasis, metabolic intermediates also function as signalling molecules. 

The researchers in this study demonstrate that polyamines, small polycations that are critical to cellular homeostasis1–3 , regulate the process of alternative pre-mRNA splicing.

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis was shown to increase the phosphorylation of spliceosomal proteins, resulting in perturbation of alternative splicing in cells and tissues.

The authors show that mechanistically polyamines bind to acidic phosphorylatable motifs in splicing factors of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein SF3 subcomplex, thus preventing the action of upstream kinases.

The authors define the role of polyamines in regulating protein phosphorylation as metabolic shielding.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09965-1

https://sciencemission.com/Polyamine-dependent-metabolic-shielding