Alternative splicing: conservation and function

Abstract

A major role in the analysis of alternative splicing belongs to the large‐scale computational examination of available EST and genome data. At least half of human genes are alternatively spliced, and many of them have isoforms not conserved in mouse. Alternative splicing tends to shuffle protein domains and frequently affects signal peptides and functional sites within domains. Thus, alternative splicing is a major mechanism generating functional and evolutional diversity of proteins. On the other hand, unlike simple gene duplication, this mechanism allows for the production of absolutely identical, in some parts, proteins.