Question

The majority of human genes undergo alternative splicing. What benefits are there to alternative splicing?

Answer 1

Alternative splicing : It is a way to generate different mRNA from a primary transcript. It is a regulatory process that results in a single gene coding for multiple proteins.

For eg. The mammalian muscle protein Troponin T gene is spliced in two different ways ie. alpha Troponin T and Beta Troponin T.

Atleast 90% of human gene undergoes alternative splicing. Also, alternating splicing helps in generating transcriptome diversity and provides an opportunity for gene regulation. It generates mRNA encoding proteins with different even opposite functions.