Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal.
Protoplasma. 2013 Jun;250(3):639-50. doi: 10.1007/s00709-012-0448-9. Epub 2012 Sep 8.
Alternative splicing, which generates multiple transcripts from the same gene and potentially different protein isoforms, is a key posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism for expanding proteomic diversity and functional complexity in higher eukaryotes. The most recent estimates, based on whole transcriptome sequencing, indicate that about 95 % of human and 60 % of Arabidopsis multi-exon genes undergo alternative splicing, suggesting important roles for this mechanism in biological processes. However, while the misregulation of alternative splicing has been associated with many human diseases, its biological relevance in plant systems is just beginning to unfold. We review here the few plant genes for which the production of multiple splice isoforms has been reported to have a clear in vivo functional impact. These case studies implicate alternative splicing in the control of a wide range of physiological and developmental processes, including photosynthetic and starch metabolism, hormone signaling, seed germination, root growth and flowering, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Future functional characterization of alternative splicing events and identification of the transcripts targeted by major regulators of this versatile means of modulating gene expression should uncover the breadth of its physiological significance in higher plants.
选择性剪接是一种关键的转录后调控机制，它可以从同一个基因产生多个转录本，并潜在地产生不同的蛋白质异构体，从而扩大真核生物的蛋白质组多样性和功能复杂性。最近的全转录组测序估计表明，约 95%的人类和 60%的拟南芥多外显子基因经历选择性剪接，这表明该机制在生物过程中具有重要作用。然而，虽然选择性剪接的失调与许多人类疾病有关，但它在植物系统中的生物学相关性才刚刚开始显现。我们在这里回顾了少数几种已报道的植物基因，其多个剪接异构体的产生对体内具有明确的功能影响。这些案例研究表明，选择性剪接参与了广泛的生理和发育过程的调控，包括光合作用和淀粉代谢、激素信号转导、种子萌发、根生长和开花，以及生物和非生物胁迫反应。对选择性剪接事件的未来功能表征和主要调控因子靶向的转录本的鉴定，应该可以揭示其在高等植物中的广泛生理意义。
