摘要
Alternative splicing(AS) is an essential mechanism in post-transcriptional regulation and leads to protein diversity. It has been shown that AS is prevalent in metazoan genomes, and the splicing pattern is dynamically regulated in different tissues and cell types, including embryonic stem cells. These observations suggest that AS may play critical roles in stem cell biology. Since embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells have the ability to give rise to alltypes of cells and tissues, they hold the promise of future cell-based therapy. Many efforts have been devoted to understanding the mechanisms underlying stem cell selfrenewal and differentiation. However, most of the studies focused on the expression of a core set of transcription factors and regulatory RNAs. The role of AS in stem cell differentiation was not clear. Recent advances in highthroughput technologies have all owed the profiling of dynamic splicing patterns and cis-motifs that are responsible for AS at a genome-wide scale, and provided novel insights in a number of studies. In this review, we discuss some recent findings involving AS and stem cells. An emerging picture from these findings is that AS is integrated in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional networks and together they control pluripotency maintenance and differentiation of stem cells.
Alternative splicing （AS） is an essential mechanismin post-transcriptional regulation and leads to proteindiversity. It has been shown that AS is prevalentin metazoan genomes, and the splicing pattern isdynamically regulated in different tissues and cell types,including embryonic stem cells. These observationssuggest that AS may play critical roles in stem cellbiology. Since embryonic stem cells and inducedpluripotent stem cells have the ability to give rise to alltypes of cells and tissues, they hold the promise of futurecell-based therapy. Many efforts have been devoted tounderstanding the mechanisms underlying stem cell selfrenewaland differentiation. However, most of the studiesfocused on the expression of a core set of transcriptionfactors and regulatory RNAs. The role of AS in stem celldifferentiation was not clear. Recent advances in highthroughputtechnologies have allowed the profilingof dynamic splicing patterns and cis-motifs that areresponsible for AS at a genome-wide scale, and providednovel insights in a number of studies. In this review, wediscuss some recent findings involving AS and stem cells.An emerging picture from these findings is that AS isintegrated in the transcriptional and post-transcriptionalnetworks and together they control pluripotencymaintenance and differentiation of stem cells.
