Novel transcription factor variants through RNA-sequencing: the importance of being "alternative".

ABSTRACT: Alternative splicing is a pervasive mechanism of RNA maturation in higher eukaryotes, which increases proteomic diversity and biological complexity. It has a key regulatory role in several physiological and pathological states. The diffusion of Next Generation Sequencing, particularly of RNA-Sequencing, has exponentially empowered the identification of novel transcripts revealing that more than 95% of human genes undergo alternative splicing. The highest rate of alternative splicing occurs in transcription factors encoding genes, mostly in Krüppel-associated box domains of zinc finger proteins. Since these molecules are responsible for gene expression, alternative splicing is a crucial mechanism to "regulate the regulators". Indeed, different transcription factors isoforms may have differe

SUBMITTER: Scarpato M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4307332 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature