Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Alternative RNA Splicing02:18

Alternative RNA Splicing

21.8K
Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
21.8K
RNA Splicing01:32

RNA Splicing

57.2K
Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
57.2K
What is Gene Expression?01:36

What is Gene Expression?

9.2K
A gene is a stretch of DNA that serves as the blueprint for functional RNAs and proteins. Since DNA is comprised  of nucleotides and proteins are comprised of amino acids, a mediator is required to convert the information encoded in DNA into proteins. This mediator is the messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA copies the blueprint from DNA by a process called transcription. In eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the nucleus by complementary base-pairing with the DNA template. The mRNA is then...
9.2K
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing02:41

Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing

7.2K
In eukaryotic cells, nascent mRNA transcripts need to undergo many post-transcriptional modifications to reach the cell cytoplasm and translate into functional proteins. For a long time, transcription and pre-mRNA processing were considered two independent events that occur sequentially in the cell. However, it has now been well established that transcription and pre-mRNA processing are two simultaneous processes that are precisely regulated inside the cell.
The chromatin structure, especially...
7.2K
Exon Recombination02:32

Exon Recombination

3.7K
The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes. 
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...
3.7K
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

10.8K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
10.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pervasive non-triplet alternative splicing drives functional isoform diversity.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Deep transcriptomics reveals cell-specific isoforms of pan-neuronal genes.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Conserved role for spliceosomal component PRPF40A in microexon splicing.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Conserved role for spliceosomal component PRPF40A in microexon splicing.

RNA (New York, N.Y.)·2024
Same author

Deep Transcriptomics Reveals Cell-Specific Isoforms of Pan-Neuronal Genes.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

A pair of RNA binding proteins inhibit ion transporter expression to maintain lifespan.

Genetics·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes
10:25

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes

Published on: April 22, 2021

5.1K

Regulated microexon alternative splicing in single neurons tunes synaptic function.

Bikash Choudhary1, Rebekah Napier-Jameson2, Adam Norris3

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, 3401 Watkins Drive, Boyce Hall, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.

EMBO Reports
|June 9, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Alternative splicing of microexons is crucial for neuronal function. This study reveals cell-specific microexon splicing patterns in C. elegans, impacting neuronal development and behavior.

Keywords:
unc-13Alternative SplicingMicroexonNeuronSplicing

More Related Videos

Quantitative Analysis of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mouse Brain Sections Using RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay
11:22

Quantitative Analysis of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mouse Brain Sections Using RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay

Published on: August 26, 2018

9.0K
Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
11:48

Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Published on: October 9, 2014

13.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes
10:25

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes

Published on: April 22, 2021

5.1K
Quantitative Analysis of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mouse Brain Sections Using RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay
11:22

Quantitative Analysis of Alternative Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mouse Brain Sections Using RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay

Published on: August 26, 2018

9.0K
Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
11:48

Detection of Alternative Splicing During Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Published on: October 9, 2014

13.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Microexons are vital for neuronal development and function.
  • Their alternative splicing across different neuron types is not well understood.
  • Investigating microexon regulation and function is key to understanding neuronal complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To globally investigate alternative microexon splicing across neuron types in C. elegans.
  • To identify the regulatory mechanisms and functional consequences of cell-specific microexon splicing.
  • To explore the conservation of microexon regulatory principles in other organisms.

Main Methods:

  • Deep single-cell transcriptomics in C. elegans.
  • In vivo splicing reporter assays.
  • Analysis of RNA binding proteins and spliceosomal components.

Main Results:

  • Widespread alternative microexon splicing observed across C. elegans neuron types.
  • A conserved microexon in the unc-13 gene is alternatively spliced between olfactory and motor neurons.
  • Two RNA binding proteins and PRP-40 regulate unc-13 microexon inclusion.
  • Altering microexon splicing leads to specific olfactory and locomotory defects.
  • Regulatory principles are conserved in related genes across species.

Conclusions:

  • Cell-specific alternative microexon splicing fine-tunes neuronal function.
  • Microexon regulation is essential for nervous system development and behavior.
  • Conserved mechanisms highlight the fundamental importance of microexons in neuronal diversity.