Prospects of Identifying Alternative Splicing Events from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data

Background: The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has offered unprecedented opportunities to unravel cellular heterogeneity and functions. Yet, despite its success in unraveling gene expression heterogeneity, accurately identifying and interpreting alternative splicing events from scRNA-seq data remains a formidable challenge. With advancing technology and algorithmic innovations, the prospect of accurately identifying alternative splicing events from scRNA-seq data is becoming increasingly promising. Objective: This perspective aims to uncover the intricacies of splicing at the single-cell level and their potential implications for health and disease. It seeks to harness scRNA-seq's transformative power in revealing cell-specific alternative splicing dynamics and aims to propel our understanding of gene regulation within individual cells to new heights. Methods: The perspective grounds its method on recent literature along with the experimental protocols of single-cell RNA-seq and methods to identify and quantify the alternative splicing events from scRNA-seq data. Results: This perspective outlines the promising potential, challenges, and methodologies for leveraging different scRNA-seq technologies to identify and study alternative splicing events, with a focus on advancing our understanding of gene regulation at the single-cell level. Conclusion: This perspective explores the prospects of utilizing scRNA-seq data to identify and study alternative splicing events, highlighting their potential, challenges, methodologies, biological insights, and future directions.