Lopez A J
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Annu Rev Genet. 1998;32:279-305. doi: 10.1146/annurev.genet.32.1.279.
Alternative splicing of pre-mRNAs is a powerful and versatile regulatory mechanism that can effect quantitative control of gene expression and functional diversification of proteins. It contributes to major developmental decisions and also to fine tuning of gene function. Genetic and biochemical approaches have identified cis-acting regulatory elements and trans-acting factors that control alternative splicing of specific pre-mRNAs. Both approaches are contributing to an understanding of their mode of action. Some alternative splicing decisions are controlled by specific factors whose expression is highly restricted during development, but others may be controlled by more modest variations in the levels of general factors acting cooperatively or antagonistically. Certain factors play active roles in both constitutive splicing and regulation of alternative splicing. Cooperative and antagonistic effects integrated at regulatory elements are likely to be important for specificity and for finely tuned differences in cell-type-specific alternative splicing patterns.
前体mRNA的可变剪接是一种强大且通用的调控机制，它能够实现基因表达的定量控制以及蛋白质的功能多样化。它有助于做出重大的发育决策，也有助于对基因功能进行微调。遗传学和生物化学方法已经鉴定出控制特定前体mRNA可变剪接的顺式作用调控元件和反式作用因子。这两种方法都有助于理解它们的作用模式。一些可变剪接决策由特定因子控制，这些因子在发育过程中的表达受到高度限制，但其他决策可能由协同或拮抗作用的一般因子水平的适度变化所控制。某些因子在组成型剪接和可变剪接的调控中都发挥着积极作用。整合在调控元件上的协同和拮抗作用可能对于特异性以及细胞类型特异性可变剪接模式中的精细差异很重要。
