Alternative pre-mRNA splicing regulation in cancer: pathways and programs unhinged.
Alternative splicing of mRNA precursors is a nearly ubiquitous and extremely flexible point of gene control in humans. It provides cells with the opportunity to create protein isoforms of differing, even opposing, functions from a single gene. Cancer cells often take advantage of this flexibility to produce proteins that promote growth and survival. Many of the isoforms produced in this manner are developmentally regulated and are preferentially re-expressed in tumors. Emerging insights into this process indicate that pathways that are frequently deregulated in cancer often play important roles in promoting aberrant splicing, which in turn contributes to all aspects of tumor biology.
Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
Charles J
CJ
David
James L
JL
Manley
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics
D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012322:RNA Precursors