Abstract: Alternative polyadenylation (APA), as a crucial post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, has been reported to generate distinct transcripts with variable 3′UTR lengths by selecting different polyadenylation sites (polyA sites, PAS) in 3′UTR. The cis-regulatory elements in pre-mRNA, corresponding trans-acting factors, as well as various enzymes and protein factors in the nucleus are involved in the regulation of APA. Many cis-regulatory elements, such as microRNA (miRNA) or RNA-binding protein (RBP) binding sites, are embedded in the 3′UTR sequence, therefore, the presence or absence of these cis-acting elements conferred by 3′UTR-APA has far-reaching effects on the stability, translation rate, nuclear export, cellular localization of target mRNAs, as well as proteins localization. APA-associated genetic variants have been proposed to affect diverse physiological and pathological processes. Here, we will systematically elaborate the regulatory mechanism of APA and its research progress in diabetic nephropathy.

Key words: alternative polyadenylation, post-transcriptional regulation, diabetic nephropathy