Rhomboid proteins employ alternative splicing to diversify their functional spectrum

What is it about?

Rhomboid proteins and proteases play roles in a wide range of biological processes from development to cancer. In many of the organisms under study, like human and plants, there is not just one gene in action, but many different genes. There are as many as 13 genes for human and 22 genes for Arabidopsis that encode for different types of rhomboid proteins. What we found is that there are even more rhomboid proteins in action in these systems and that these are generated by alternative splicing of some of the existing rhomboid genes. For example, in Arabidopsis, one gene can morphed into three by alternative splicing and the resulting protein products show potentials to function in different ways.

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Why is it important?

Our findings not only shed light on how alternative splicing is used to increase the number of functional rhomboid protein variants, but also uncovers a possible network of rhomboid protein variants that may work together in antagonistic and agonistic ways. The findings may also uncover the possibility of how widespread these mysterious rhomboid proteins are in terms of their involvement with various cell processes. Our related patent application indicates these two notions

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