title: Shedding UV light on alternative splicing.
abstract: After DNA damage, cells modulate pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) splicing to induce an anti- or proapoptotic response. In this issue, Muñoz et al. (2009) uncover a cotranscriptional mechanism for activating alternative pre-mRNA splicing after ultraviolet irradiation that depends unexpectedly on hyperphosphorylation of the RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain and decreased rates of transcription elongation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. matt.marengo@duke.edu
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Marengo
authors.forename: Mariano A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Garcia-Blanco
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000528:radiation effects*; D017209:Apoptosis; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D012319:RNA Polymerase II