Alternative Splicing

Alternative splicing is the process of selecting different combinations of splice sites within a messenger RNA precursor (pre-mRNA) to produce variably spliced mRNAs. These multiple mRNAs can encode proteins that vary in their sequence and activity, and yet arise from a single gene. Alternative splicing is an important mechanism in the developmental and cell-type specific control of gene expression, and as a mechanism for increasing the proteome diversity. It is found in nearly all eukaryotic organisms that carry out standard nuclear pre-mRNA splicing, including animals, plants, and, in some cases, fungi. Alternative splicing is modulated by many proteins which interact with a large array of splicing enhancer and splicing suppressor sequences.