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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
11:48
Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: October 9, 2014
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Alternative splicing and the evolution of phenotypic novelty
Stephen J Bush1, Lu Chen2, Jaime M Tovar-Corona3
1The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK.
Summary
Alternative splicing generates transcript diversity, potentially driving morphological evolution and developmental complexity. Its role in evolution may be linked to gene duplication and cell type diversification.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional process enabling a single gene to produce multiple RNA transcripts.
- AS is prevalent in developmental genes and has been linked to morphological innovation in multicellular organisms.
- The relationship between AS and gene duplication has been studied, with AS potentially influencing gene retention post-duplication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of alternative splicing as a source of functional innovation and transcript diversification.
- To investigate the correlation between alternative splicing, gene duplication, and the evolution of cell type complexity.
- To address whether increased AS reflects functional transcriptome expansion or relaxed selection in larger species.
Main Methods:
- Comparative genomics analysis to study the relationship between alternative splicing and gene duplication.
- Analysis of gene expression patterns and alternative splicing events across species with varying cell type numbers.
- Investigating evolutionary pressures on alternatively spliced genes in relation to species characteristics.
Main Results:
- Alternative splicing is reduced after gene duplication, with retained duplicates often being alternatively spliced prior to duplication.
- The proportion of alternatively spliced genes correlates positively with the evolutionary diversification of cell types.
- These findings suggest alternative splicing contributes to developmental complexity and functional innovation.
Conclusions:
- Alternative splicing plays a significant role in generating functional diversity and potentially driving evolutionary innovation.
- The increase in alternative splicing appears linked to developmental complexity and cell type evolution, not just relaxed selection.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the selective pressures and functional consequences of alternative splicing proliferation.
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