The Tra2-dependent way of alternative splicing: Findings and implications in breast cancer

Introduction: Tra2, member of the extended family of serine-argenine-rich (SR) splicing factors, regulates alternative splicing of exons with C/A-rich enhancer sequences. Besides the CD44 gene which undergoes extensive alternative splicing of at least 10 variable exons, other biological important genes, like VEGF, prolactin- estrogen- and insulin receptor, BRCA2 and Syk are alternatively spliced and contain these C/A-rich sequences. Recently, we demonstrated that alternative exon v4 inclusion is increased upon over-expression of the DNA and RNA binding protein YB-1 and Tra2 in a mouse model of breast cancer deve…