Splicing regulation in brain and testis: common themes for highly specialized organs

Expansion of the coding and regulatory capabilities of eukaryotic transcriptomes by alternative splicing represents one of the evolutionary forces underlying the increased structural complexity of metazoans. Brain and testes stand out as the organs that mostly exploit the potential of alternative splicing, thereby expressing the largest repertoire of splice variants. Herein, we will review organ-specific as well as common mechanisms underlying the high transcriptome complexity of these organs and discuss the impact exerted by this widespread alternative splicing regulation on the functionality and differentiation of brain and testicular cells.

Automated summary

Alternative splicing plays a significant role in increasing the structural complexity of metazoans, particularly in organs like the brain and testes which express a large repertoire of splice variants. The regulation of alternative splicing has a profound impact on the functionality and differentiation of brain and testicular cells, contributing to their high transcriptome complexity.