Alternative Splicing:
A single gene can contain numerous exons and introns, and the exons can be spliced together in different ways. For example, if a gene contains 10 exons, one version of the mRNA transcribed from that gene might contain exons 1-9. Another version of the mRNA might contain exons 1-8, and exon 10. This is called alternative splicing, and can produce different forms of a protein from the same gene. The GenBank record L00727 provides a graphic example of an alternatively spliced gene. (Once you are viewing the record in GenBank format, use the Display button and menu near the top of the page to change the format to "Graphics.")
The different versions of mRNA produced from a single gene are called splice variants or isoforms.
Additional information about alternative splicing can be obtained by searching for that phrase in the title field of PubMed records, displaying a record, then following the "Books" link to related sections of the online text Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3rd ed.
|
