An alternative splicing event amplifies evolutionary differences between vertebrates

Abstract

Regulation of splicing regulators The messenger RNAs of most eukaryotic genes are formed by splicing together a series of exons and removing the intervening introns. The identity and order of the exons can vary between mRNAs for the same gene. The alternatively spliced products can generate an increased diversity of protein products. Gueroussov et al. show that the alternative splicing of a mammalian splicing regulatory factor affects, in turn, the alternative splicing of a wide range of target RNAs. This regulation mechanism controls a brain-specific alternative splicing program. Science , this issue p. 868