Alternative splicing increases proteome diversity.

Alternative splicing increases proteome diversity.

• A. It reduces gene expression
• B. It increases diversity of proteins by splicing exons
• C. It changes DNA sequence
• D. It degrades mRNA

Answer: (B)

Alternative splicing increases proteome diversity by allowing a single gene to produce multiple mRNA transcripts, and therefore multiple protein variants, through different combinations of exons being joined during mRNA processing. After transcription, introns are removed and exons are stitched together; choosing which exons to include or skip creates proteins with different domains or functional motifs, expanding the range of possible functions without increasing the number of genes. The DNA sequence itself isn’t altered by splicing, and this process doesn’t by itself change overall gene expression levels or degrade the mRNA. Some splicing choices can lead to unstable transcripts and decay, but the key idea is that different exon combinations yield different proteins, boosting proteome diversity.

Alternative splicing increases proteome diversity by allowing a single gene to produce multiple mRNA transcripts, and therefore multiple protein variants, through different combinations of exons being joined during mRNA processing. After transcription, introns are removed and exons are stitched together; choosing which exons to include or skip creates proteins with different domains or functional motifs, expanding the range of possible functions without increasing the number of genes. The DNA sequence itself isn’t altered by splicing, and this process doesn’t by itself change overall gene expression levels or degrade the mRNA. Some splicing choices can lead to unstable transcripts and decay, but the key idea is that different exon combinations yield different proteins, boosting proteome diversity.