Final answer:
If the transposed segment includes an exon, this can lead to exon shuffling, which potentially alters the protein function encoded by the recipient gene. This alteration could be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral, and is a mechanism that contributes to evolutionary diversity through the creation of new protein functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a segment containing an exon is transposed into another gene, this can be an example of exon shuffling. Exons are the protein-coding sequences in eukaryotic genes that are expressed. If exon 2 from gene A, which includes coding information, is inserted into gene B due to the activity of transposons or helitrons, this can potentially alter the function of the protein encoded by gene B. The inclusion of an additional exon can either be harmless, lead to a novel protein function, or be deleterious if it disrupts the original protein's function.
The significance of such an event is highlighted by the mechanisms of alternative splicing and the potential for increasing genetic variation and complexity. Introns, the non-coding segments between exons, are typically removed during RNA processing to ensure the correct assembly of the coding sequence. Any errors in splicing or the addition of new exons could shift the reading frame, resulting in a dysfunctional protein. This exon shuffling plays an essential role in evolution, as it can lead to new protein functions and increased species diversity.