Role of alternative splicing in hematopoietic stem cells during development

With the advent and increasing resolution of genome-wide sequencing modalities, alternative splicing (AS) has become an emerging area of interest in normal development and disease (1). Splicing of mRNA transcripts results in the production of a multitude of alternative isoforms from a single genomic locus, dramatically enhancing the diversity of the transcriptome and proteome (2). AS may affect RNA nuclear export and transcript stability, thereby regulating transcript levels. Distinct splicing isoforms may produce functionally equivalent, divergent, or inactive mature proteins (3).