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Alternative splicing switches: Important players in cell differentiation
Author(s) -
Fiszbein Ana,
Kornblihtt Alberto R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
bioessays
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.175
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1521-1878
pISSN - 0265-9247
DOI - 10.1002/bies.201600157
Subject(s) - reprogramming , biology , cellular differentiation , chromatin , alternative splicing , somatic cell , induced pluripotent stem cell , cell fate determination , adipogenesis , cell type , computational biology , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , cell , gene isoform , transcription factor , embryonic stem cell
Alternative splicing (AS) greatly expands the coding capacities of genomes by allowing the generation of multiple mature mRNAs from a limited number of genes. Although the massive switch in AS profiles that often accompanies variations in gene expression patterns occurring during cell differentiation has been characterized for a variety of models, their causes and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we integrate foundational and recent studies indicating the AS switches that govern the processes of cell fate determination. We include some distinct AS events in pluripotent cells and somatic reprogramming and discuss new progresses on alternative isoform expression in adipogenesis, myogenic differentiation and stimulation of immune cells. Finally, we cover novel insights on AS mechanisms during neuronal differentiation, paying special attention to the role of chromatin structure.