Both authors contributed equally to this work.
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Review Article
Alternative splicing: current perspectives
Article first published online: 14 DEC 2007
DOI: 10.1002/bies.20692
Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional Information
How to Cite
Kim, E., Goren, A. and Ast, G. (2008), Alternative splicing: current perspectives. Bioessays, 30: 38–47. doi: 10.1002/bies.20692
Publication History
- Issue published online: 14 DEC 2007
- Article first published online: 14 DEC 2007
Funded by
- This work was supported by a grant from the Israel Science Foundation (1449/04 and 40/05), MOP Germany-Israel, GIF, DIP, the chief scientist of the Health Ministry; ICA through the Ber-Lehmsdorf Memorial Fund and EURASNET to GA. EK is a fellow of the Clore Scholars Programme. AG is supported by the Adams Fellowship Program of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
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Abstract
Alternative splicing is a well-characterized mechanism by which multiple transcripts are generated from a single mRNA precursor. By allowing production of several protein isoforms from one pre-mRNA, alternative splicing contributes to proteomic diversity. But what do we know about the origin of this mechanism? Do the same evolutionary forces apply to alternatively and constitutively splice exons? Do similar forces act on all types of alternative splicing? Are the products generated by alternative splicing functional? Why is “improper” recognition of exons and introns allowed by the splicing machinery? In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding these issues from an evolutionary perspective. BioEssays 30:38–47, 2008. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.