Evaluation of adaptive significance of alternative splicing by phylogenetic conservation

遗传信息以DNA的形式储存在细胞中，细胞无法直接获取。相反，DNA信息在指导细胞功能之前要经历广泛的、多步骤的处理。其中的一个过程，替代mRNA剪接，不仅传递遗传信息，而且通过产生来自同一基因的多个替代遗传信息来增强遗传信息。单元扩展了相当多的资源来生成这些替代消息。虽然其中一些对细胞的正常功能和发育至关重要，但由于它们在细胞中的功能尚不清楚，因此其他一些的重要性备受争议。它们是细胞耐受的错误，还是代表了一种未知的遗传信息或一种新的调控过程？在这项研究中，我们将尝试通过比较包括哺乳动物、鸟类、鱼类和两栖动物在内的各种动物的替代信息的产生来评估替代信息的重要性。我们的指导原则是，如果替代信息在功能上很重要，那么我们将能够追踪它们的进化发展，并发现它们在我们将要研究的各种动物中所起作用的证据。

Genetic information is stored in the cell in the form of DNA, which the cell cannot access directly. Instead, DNA information undergoes extensive, multistep processing before it can be acted upon to direct cellular functions. One of these processes, alternative mRNA splicing, not only transmits genetic information but also enhances it by generating multiple alternative genetic messages from the same gene. The cell expands considerable amount of resources to generate these alternative messages. While some are essential for the proper functioning and development of the cell, the significance of others is subject of great debate since their function in the cell is unclear. Are they errors tolerated by the cell or do they represent an as yet unknown type of genetic information or a novel regulatory process? In this study we will attempt to evaluate the significance of alternative messages by comparing their production in a variety of including mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians. Our guiding principle is that if alternative messages are functionally important then we will be able to trace their evolutionary development and uncover evidence of their role in the various animals we will investigate.