title: Making alternative splicing decisions during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
abstract: Alternative splicing generates multiple mRNAs from a single transcript and is a major contributor to proteomic diversity and to the control of gene expression in complex organisms. Not surprisingly, this post-transcriptional event is tightly regulated in different tissues and developmental stages. An increasing body of evidences supports a causative role of aberrant alternative splicing in cancer. However, very little is known about its impact on cellular processes crucially involved in tumor progression. The aim of this review is to discuss the link between alternative splicing and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), one of the major routes by which cancer cells acquire invasive capabilities and become metastatic. We begin with a brief overview of alternative splicing. Next, we discuss alternative splicing factors that regulate EMT. Finally, we provide examples of target genes presenting alternative splicing changes that contribute to the morphological conversions in the EMT process.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Genetica Molecolare - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pavia, Italy. biamonti@igm.cnr.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biamonti
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonomi
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghigna
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C497483:CD44 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C107953:RAC1 protein, human; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D000068103:Serine-Arginine Splicing Factors; C080835:RON protein; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein