Cross talk between spliceosome and microprocessor defines the fate of pre-mRNA.

The spliceosome and the microprocessor complex (MPC) are two important processing machineries that act on precursor (pre)-mRNA. Both cleave the pre-mRNA to generate spliced mature transcripts and microRNAs (miRNAs), respectively. While spliceosomes identify in a complex manner correct splice sites, MPCs typically target RNA hairpins (pri-miRNA hairpins). In addition, pre-mRNA transcripts can contain pri-miRNA-like hairpins that are cleaved by the MPC without generating miRNAs. Recent evidence indicates that the position of hairpins on pre-mRNA, their distance from splice sites, and the relative efficiency of cropping and splicing contribute to determine the fate of a pre-mRNA. Depending on these factors, a pre-mRNA can be preferentially used to generate a miRNA, a constitutively or even an alternative spliced transcript. For example, competition between splicing and cropping on splice-site-overlapping miRNAs (SO miRNAs) results in alternative spliced isoforms and influences miRNA biogenesis. In several cases, the outcome of a pre-mRNA transcript and its final handling as miRNA or mRNA substrate can be frequently closely connected to the functional relationships between diverse pre-mRNA processing events. These events are influenced by both gene context and physiopathological conditions.