Alternative Polyadenylation: Methods, Findings, and Impacts

Overview

Journal Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics

Specialty Biology

Date 2017 Oct 17

PMID 29031844

Citations 53

Authors

Wei Chen

Qi Jia

Yifan Song

Haihui Fu

Gang Wei

Ting Ni

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Alternative polyadenylation (APA), a phenomenon that RNA molecules with different 3' ends originate from distinct polyadenylation sites of a single gene, is emerging as a mechanism widely used to regulate gene expression. In the present review, we first summarized various methods prevalently adopted in APA study, mainly focused on the next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based techniques specially designed for APA identification, the related bioinformatics methods, and the strategies for APA study in single cells. Then we summarized the main findings and advances so far based on these methods, including the preferences of alternative polyA (pA) site, the biological processes involved, and the corresponding consequences. We especially categorized the APA changes discovered so far and discussed their potential functions under given conditions, along with the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. With more in-depth studies on extensive samples, more signatures and functions of APA will be revealed, and its diverse roles will gradually heave in sight.

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