Neuron-restrictive silencing factor (NRSF), also known as RE-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), has pivotal functions in many neuron-specific genes. Previous studies revealed that neuron-specific alternative splicing (AS) of REST produces divergent forms of REST variants and provides regulatory complexity in the nervous system. However, the biological significance of these variants in the regulation of neuronal activities remains to be clarified. Here, we revealed that Charlatan (Chn), a Drosophila REST-like molecule, is also regulated by neuron-specific AS. Neuron-specific AS produced six divergent variants of Chn proteins, one of which preferentially localized to axons. A small sequence of this variant was especially important for the axonal localization. Our data suggest that some variants have roles beyond the transcriptional regulation of neuronal activities.

神经元限制性沉默因子 (NRSF)，也称为 RE-1 沉默转录因子 (REST)，在许多神经元特异性基因中具有关键作用。先前的研究表明，REST 的神经元特异性选择性剪接 (AS) 会产生不同形式的 REST 变体，并在神经系统中提供调节复杂性。然而，这些变体在调节神经元活动中的生物学意义仍有待阐明。在这里，我们揭示了 Charlatan (Chn)，一种果蝇REST 样分子，也受神经元特异性 AS 的调节。神经元特异性 AS 产生了六种不同的 Chn 蛋白变体，其中一种优先定位于轴突。该变体的一小部分序列对于轴突定位尤为重要。我们的数据表明，一些变体的作用超出了神经元活动的转录调节。