Models for mechanisms leading to specific or non-specific expression of splice isoforms in cancer tissues.

Dotted arrows: hypothetical links. Box A: Known trans effect in which change in splice factor activation results in specific changes in the expression levels of several splice variants. Box B: Possible alternative mechanism in which disruption of SR protein splicing induces a wider deregulation of splice isoform expression. The dotted arrow between boxes indicates a possible link between specific and non-specific splicing disruption that may occur preferentially in proliferating tumors.