Diversity of mRNA species starts with alternative splicing in the cell nucleus, where different exonal combinations of the gene are selected (Black, 2000; Black, 2003; Smith and Valcarcel, 2000) to form various transcripts of the same gene. These transcripts are exported to the cytoplasm, where their stability is regulated by post-transcriptional processes (Guhaniyogi and Brewer, 2001), and protein isoforms with varying properties are produced from the different transcripts (Coetzee et al., 1999; Dredge et al., 2001; Shipston, 2001). These regulatory processes (Blencowe, 2006; Grabowski and Black, 2001) play essential roles in neuronal plasticity, allowing the neuron to quickly fine-tune its protein composition to adapt to different stimuli. These processes are also involved in neurological diseases (Licatalosi and Darnell, 2006, Guhaniyogi and Brewer, 2001). Here, we explore whether a drug of abuse (alcohol) can affect microRNA-based regulatory mechanisms of expression of alternatively spliced mRNA transcripts.
