Final answer:
When the first short repeated sequence incorrectly aligns with a different ending sequence, a splicing error may occur, resulting in the potential loss of an exon and the creation of a nonfunctional protein. This can cause genetic diseases, but it also provides a mechanism for the evolution of novel protein functions through alternative splicing.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the first short repeated sequence finds the ending sequence on a different gene instead of the intended sequence, this scenario usually leads to a splicing error. In the context of alternative splicing, such an error could result in the skipping of the correct exon and potentially removing two introns and the intervening exon. This kind of mistake in the mechanisms of splicing might lead to the creation of a nonfunctional protein, as the essential coding sequences could be incorrectly excluded from the mature mRNA.
Alternative splicing allows for the creation of multiple protein variants from a single gene and contributes to the complexity of gene expression. However, errors due to mutations or splicing mechanism failures can also be the cause of many genetic diseases. On the flip side, such diversity in splicing patterns can offer evolutionary advantages by generating novel protein functions, as new variations can be selected and adapted for different functions without the loss of the original, functional protein. Therefore, gene duplication and alternative splicing both have significant roles in the evolution of new proteins and functions.