The butterfly effect of RNA alterations on transcriptomic equilibrium

Abstract

Post-transcriptional regulation plays a key role in modulating gene expression, and the perturbation of transcriptomic equilibrium has been shown to drive the development of multiple diseases including cancer. Recent studies have revealed the existence of multiple posttranscriptional processes that coordinatively regulate the expression and function of each RNA transcript. In this review, we summarize the latest research describing various mechanisms by which small alterations in RNA processing or function can potentially reshape the transcriptomic landscape, and the impact that this may have on cancer development.