Spliceosome components as the main targets of alternative splicing

Splicing of transcripts via the spliceosome machinery is a complex process involving a multitude of proteins and short non-coding RNAs. Mechanisms responsible for non-canonical/alternative splicing of genes are poorly understood, although numerous processes and diseases have been associated with aberrant mRNA splicing. We have tried to identify the genes most frequently targeted by alternative splicing. Data from several species and types of tissue indicate that the constituents of the spliceosome itself are the main targets of alternative splicing, suggesting a model where high splice variant diversity is a fundamental feature of the spliceosome.