Abstract
Signaling through the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) is crucial for mammalian craniofacial development, although the mechanisms by which the activity of downstream intracellular effectors is regulated to mediate gene expression changes have not been defined. We find that the RNA-binding protein Srsf3 is phosphorylated at Akt consensus sites downstream of PI3K-mediated PDGFRα signaling in mouse palatal mesenchyme cells, leading to its nuclear translocation. We further demonstrate that ablation of Srsf3 in the mouse neural crest lineage leads to facial clefting due to defective cranial neural crest cell proliferation and survival. Finally, we show that Srsf3 regulates the alternative RNA splicing of transcripts encoding protein kinases in the mouse facial process mesenchyme to regulate PDGFRα-dependent intracellular signaling. Collectively, our findings reveal that alternative RNA splicing is an important mechanism of gene expression regulation downstream of PI3K/Akt-mediated PDGFRα signaling in the facial mesenchyme and identify Srsf3 as a critical regulator of craniofacial development.