title: Mechanism of alternative splicing and its regulation.
abstract: Alternative splicing of precursor mRNA is an essential mechanism to increase the complexity of gene expression, and it plays an important role in cellular differentiation and organism development. Regulation of alternative splicing is a complicated process in which numerous interacting components are at work, including cis-acting elements and trans-acting factors, and is further guided by the functional coupling between transcription and splicing. Additional molecular features, such as chromatin structure, RNA structure and alternative transcription initiation or alternative transcription termination, collaborate with these basic components to generate the protein diversity due to alternative splicing. All these factors contributing to this one fundamental biological process add up to a mechanism that is critical to the proper functioning of cells. Any corruption of the process may lead to disruption of normal cellular function and the eventuality of disease. Cancer is one of those diseases, where alternative splicing may be the basis for the identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as new strategies for therapy. Thus, an in-depth understanding of alternative splicing regulation has the potential not only to elucidate fundamental biological principles, but to provide solutions for various diseases.
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: B O
authors: BO
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Yan-Mei
authors: YM
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Lin-Feng
authors: LF
authors: Huang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Qing-Hua
authors: QH
authors: Min
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Wei-Ming
authors: WM
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Xiao-Zhong
authors: XZ
authors: Wang
keywords: alternative splicing; disease; mechanism; precursor mRNA; regulation