Stepwise assembly of the Nova-regulated alternative splicing network in the vertebrate brain.

ABSTRACT: Novel organismal structures in metazoans are often undergirded by complex gene regulatory networks; as such, understanding the emergence of new structures through evolution requires reconstructing the series of evolutionary steps leading to these underlying networks. Here, we reconstruct the step-by-step assembly of the vertebrate splicing network regulated by Nova, a splicing factor that modulates alternative splicing in the vertebrate central nervous system by binding to clusters of YCAY motifs on pre-RNA transcripts. Transfection of human HEK293T cells with Nova orthologs indicated vertebrate-like splicing regulatory activity in bilaterian invertebrates, thus Nova acquired the ability to bind YCAY clusters and perform vertebrate-like splicing modulation at least before the last common a

SUBMITTER: Irimia M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3069165 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature