Lessons from non-canonical splicing

Recent improvements in experimental and computational techniques that are used to study the transcriptome have enabled an unprecedented view of RNA processing, revealing many previously unknown non-canonical splicing events. This includes cryptic events located far from the currently annotated exons and unconventional splicing mechanisms that have important roles in regulating gene expression. These non-canonical splicing events are a major source of newly emerging transcripts during evolution, especially when they involve sequences derived from transposable elements. They are therefore under precise regulation and quality control, which minimizes their potential to disrupt gene expression. We explain how non-canonical splicing can lead to aberrant transcripts that cause many diseases, and also how it can be exploited for new therapeutic strategies

Circular RNAs and neuronal development

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are abundant in the brain and are often expressed in complex spatiotemporal patterns that coincide with distinct developmental transitions. This suggests that circRNAs play a significant role in the central\ua0nervous system. This book chapter will review research progress into the function of circRNAs during neuronal development. The major themes to be discussed are the enrichment of circRNAs in the synapse and their possible contributions to synaptopathologies, in addition to the findings that neural circRNAs accumulate with age and appear beneficial for neuronal repair. Although more research is needed, some of the possible functions of circRNAs with in the brain are already beginning to come to light