The origins and importance of spliceosomal introns comprise one of the longest-abiding mysteries of molecular evolution. Considerable debate remains over several aspects of the evolution of spliceosomal introns, including the timing of intron origin and proliferation, the mechanisms by which introns are lost and gained, and the forces that have shaped intron evolution. Recent important progress has been made in each of these areas. Patterns of intron-position correspondence between widely diverged eukaryotic species have provided insights into the origins of the vast differences in intron number between eukaryotic species, and studies of specific cases of intron loss and gain have led to progress in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and the forces that control intron evolution.
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Department of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA; Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA. Electronic address:
The spliceosome protein, SF3B1 associates with U2 snRNP during early spliceosome assembly for pre-mRNA splicing. Frequent somatic mutations in SF3B1 observed in cancer necessitates characterization of its role in identifying the branchpoint adenosine of introns. Remarkably, SF3B1 is the target of three distinct natural product drugs, each identified by their potent anti-tumor properties.
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