Whereas individual steps of protein-coding gene expression in eukaryotes can be studied in isolation in vitro, it has become clear that these steps are intimately connected within cells. Connections not only ensure quality control but also fine-tune the gene expression process, which must adapt to environmental changes while remaining robust. In this review, we systematically present proven and potential mechanisms by which sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factors can alter gene expression beyond transcription initiation and regulate pre-mRNA splicing, and thereby mRNA isoform production, by (i) influencing transcription elongation rates, (ii) binding to pre-mRNA to recruit splicing factors, and/or (iii) blocking the association of splicing factors with pre-mRNA. We propose various mechanistic models throughout the review, in some cases without explicit supportive evidence, in hopes of providing fertile ground for future studies.

中文翻译：

---

超越转录：转录因子在mRNA前剪接中的作用

尽管可以在体外分离地研究真核生物中蛋白质编码基因表达的各个步骤，但很显然，这些步骤在细胞内紧密相连。连接不仅可以确保质量控制，还可以微调基因表达过程，该过程必须适应环境变化，同时保持坚固性。在这篇综述中，我们系统地介绍了行之有效的潜在机制，通过这些机制，序列特异性DNA结合转录因子可以通过转录（i）影响转录延伸率来改变转录起始之外的基因表达，并调节前mRNA剪接，从而调节mRNA亚型的产生， （ii）与pre-mRNA结合以募集剪接因子，和/或（iii）阻断剪接因子与pre-mRNA的结合。在整个审查过程中，我们提出了各种机械模型，