What is alternative splicing?

Alternative splicing is a crucial mechanism in eukaryotic gene expression that enables a single gene to produce multiple protein isoforms. This process occurs during the maturation of mRNA, where different combinations of exons (the coding regions of genes) can be included or excluded from the final mRNA transcript. As a result, one gene can give rise to various protein products, each with potentially distinct functions or regulatory roles.

This versatility is essential for an organism's ability to adapt to different physiological conditions and contribute to the complexity of its proteome without the need for an overly vast number of genes. Therefore, the correct identification of alternative splicing as a means of coding for multiple proteins directly reflects its fundamental role in molecular biology, particularly in the context of gene regulation and protein diversity.