Non-canonical Splicing and Their Implications in Normal Physiology and Cancer

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Technologies and Resources for Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2022) | Viewed by 5181

Special Issue Editors

Department of Pathology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA
Interests: RNA processing; gene fusion; chromosomal rearrangement; chimeric RNA; oncogene

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Guest Editor
Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
Interests: RNA splicing; long noncoding chimeric RNAs; castration-resistant prostate cancer; cis-splicing of adjacent genes; chimeric circular RNAs; esophageal cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to participate in this Special Issue, “Non-canonical Splicing and Its Implications in Normal Physiology and Cancer”.

RNA splicing is one of the major differences in RNA processing between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Splicing describes a process that removes introns and connects exons together. Non-canonical splicing, however, describes phenomena that involve cryptic splice sites different from currently annotated exons and unconventional mechanisms that deviate from the well-defined rules of splicing.

With the advances of experimental and computational techniques, we now have an unprecedented view of RNA processing, revealing many previously unknown non-canonical splicing events. These include alternative splicing within a gene, circular RNAs resulting from back-splicing, chimeric RNAs due to intergenic splicing, etc. They represent new mechanisms to expand the functional genome, thus playing important roles in normal physiology. It has been estimated that about one third of human diseases are caused by mutations in splicing sites or aberrant splicing factors. Nevertheless, the proportion from non-canonical splicing is still unclear, with more and more works in the literature supporting its involvement in the pathology of diseases.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to host research and review papers on our molecular understanding of non-canonical splicing, their normal physiological roles, and their connection to diseases. New results, confirmatory results, and contradictory results will also be considered for publication.

Prof. Dr. Hui Li
Prof. Dr. Fujun Qin
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • chimeric RNA
  • intergenic splicing
  • back splicing
  • alternative splicing
  • cancer
  • circular RNA

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 1340 KiB  
Review
Chimeric RNAs Discovered by RNA Sequencing and Their Roles in Cancer and Rare Genetic Diseases
by Yunan Sun and Hui Li
Genes 2022, 13(5), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13050741 - 22 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4506
Abstract
Chimeric RNAs are transcripts that are generated by gene fusion and intergenic splicing events, thus comprising nucleotide sequences from different parental genes. In the past, Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR were used to detect chimeric RNAs. However, they are low-throughput and can be [...] Read more.
Chimeric RNAs are transcripts that are generated by gene fusion and intergenic splicing events, thus comprising nucleotide sequences from different parental genes. In the past, Northern blot analysis and RT-PCR were used to detect chimeric RNAs. However, they are low-throughput and can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and cost-prohibitive. With the development of RNA-seq and transcriptome analyses over the past decade, the number of chimeric RNAs in cancer as well as in rare inherited diseases has dramatically increased. Chimeric RNAs may be potential diagnostic biomarkers when they are specifically expressed in cancerous cells and/or tissues. Some chimeric RNAs can also play a role in cell proliferation and cancer development, acting as tools for cancer prognosis, and revealing new insights into the cell origin of tumors. Due to their abilities to characterize a whole transcriptome with a high sequencing depth and intergenically identify spliced chimeric RNAs produced with the absence of chromosomal rearrangement, RNA sequencing has not only enhanced our ability to diagnose genetic diseases, but also provided us with a deeper understanding of these diseases. Here, we reviewed the mechanisms of chimeric RNA formation and the utility of RNA sequencing for discovering chimeric RNAs in several types of cancer and rare inherited diseases. We also discussed the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic values of chimeric RNAs. Full article
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