The figure shows a eukaryotic pre-mRNA with alternating exons (filled) and introns (open) and the resulting mature mRNA after processing.
What is the principal benefit of pre-mRNA splicing for eukaryotes?
- A
It reverses the direction of transcription.
- Bcheck_circle
Alternative splicing allows one gene to encode multiple protein isoforms.
- C
It introduces nonsense codons to terminate translation.
- D
It increases mRNA half-life by adding ribosome binding sites.
Explanation
Splicing removes introns and joins exons; selecting different exon combinations (alternative splicing) lets a single gene generate multiple proteins, vastly expanding proteome diversity.