title: Trans-splicing.
abstract: Trans-splicing is the joining together of portions of two separate pre-mRNA molecules. The two distinct categories of spliceosomal trans-splicing are genic trans-splicing, which joins exons of different pre-mRNA transcripts, and spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing, which involves an exon donated from a specialized SL RNA. Both depend primarily on the same signals and components as cis-splicing. Genic trans-splicing events producing protein-coding mRNAs have been described in a variety of organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. In mammalian cells, genic trans-splicing can be associated with cancers and translocations. SL trans-splicing has mainly been studied in nematodes and trypanosomes, but there are now numerous and diverse phyla (including primitive chordates) where this type of trans-splicing has been detected. Such diversity raises questions as to the evolutionary origin of the process. Another intriguing question concerns the function of trans-splicing, as operon resolution can only account for a small proportion of the total amount of SL trans-splicing.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Denver, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics; University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.
authors.forename: Erika L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Lasda
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009876:Operon; D010802:Phylogeny; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020871:RNA Stability; D020038:RNA, Spliced Leader / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017381:Spliceosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D020040:Trans-Splicing / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D012322:RNA Precursors; D020038:RNA, Spliced Leader