The main focus of my research is the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing and a particular attention is raised onto the links between chromatin remodelling, transcription and splicing. Pre-mRNA splicing is a crucial step in gene expression, which controls assembly of exons and the precise removal of introns in order to generate mature mRNA. Recent estimates establish by high-throughput sequencing techniques have revealed that more than ~95% of human genes produce at least two spliced RNA isoforms, and thus the few genes that are not expressed via alternative splicing can be considered as exceptions. In addition, alternative splicing is the main source of mRNA and protein diversity, which operates during development, differentiation or in response to cell stress.
Currently, several projects are in progress, which assess numerous aspect of alternative splicing regulation.