Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing Regulation in Cancer: Pathways and Programs Unhinged

Overview

Journal Genes Dev

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2010 Nov 3

PMID 21041405

Citations 467

Authors

Charles J David

James L Manley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

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.

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