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Alternative Splicing

Definition

Alternative splicing is a regulated process during gene expression that results in a single gene coding for multiple proteins. In this process, certain exons of a gene may be included within or excluded from the final processed messenger RNA (mRNA) produced from that gene.

Analogy

Think of alternative splicing like building a custom burger at your favorite restaurant. The chef (the cell) has many ingredients (exons) to choose from. Depending on what you order, the chef can include or exclude certain ingredients to make different types of burgers (proteins). Just as one set of ingredients can create various burgers, one gene can code for multiple proteins through alternative splicing.

Related terms

Exon: An exon is any part of a gene that will encode a part of the final mature RNA produced by that gene after introns have been removed by RNA splicing.

Intron: An intron is any nucleotide sequence within a gene that is removed by RNA splicing while the final mature mRNA product is being generated.

Gene Expression: Gene expression involves transcribing DNA into mRNA and then translating mRNA into proteins. This process allows cells to produce specific proteins when they are needed.