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When targeting promoter regions, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) trigger a previously proposed pathway known as transcriptional gene silencing by promoting heterochromatin formation. Here we show that siRNAs targeting intronic or exonic sequences close to an alternative exon regulate the splicing of that exon. The effect occurred in hepatoma and HeLa cells with siRNA antisense strands designed to enter the silencing pathway, suggesting hybridization with nascent pre-mRNA. Unexpectedly, in HeLa cells the sense strands were also effective, suggesting that an endogenous antisense transcript, detectable in HeLa but not in hepatoma cells, acts as a target. The effect depends on Argonaute-1 and is counterbalanced by factors favoring chromatin opening or transcriptional elongation. The increase in heterochromatin marks (dimethylation at Lys9 and trimethylation at Lys27 of histone H3) at the target site, the need for the heterochromatin-associated protein HP1α and the reduction in RNA polymerase II processivity suggest a mechanism involving the kinetic coupling of transcription and alternative splicing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diverse signals received by CD8+ T cells are integrated to achieve the required magnitude of cell expansion and the appropriate balance of effector/memory CD8+ T cell generation. Notably, the strength and nature of TCR signaling influence the differentiation and functional capacity of effector and memory CD8+ T cells. Dok-1 and Dok-2, the two members of the Dok family expressed in T cells, negatively regulate TCR signaling in vitro. However, the role of Dok proteins in modulating T cell function in vivo has not yet studied. We studied the function of Dok-1 and Dok-2 proteins in the regulation of the CD8+ T cell response to vaccinia virus infection. Comparison of responses to vaccinia virus expressing OVA peptide SIINFEKL by wild-type and Dok-1/2-/- CD8+ OT-I cells showed that the absence of Dok-1 and Dok-2 slightly reduced the magnitude of virus-specific effector CD8+ T cell expansion. This was not due to reduced proliferation or enhanced apoptosis of effector CD8+ T cells. Dok-1/2-deficient effector CD8+ T cells showed increased cell surface TCR expression following virus infection in vivo and increased expression of granzyme B and TNF upon stimulation with peptide Ag ex vivo. Finally, Dok-1/2-deficient effector CD8+ T had a severe defect in survival that resulted in impaired generation of memory CD8+ T cells. These results reveal the critical involvement of Dok-1 and Dok-2 in a negative-feedback loop that prevents overactivation of CD8+ T cells and promotes memory formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]