Final answer:
Alternative splicing is more important in humans than in yeast due to the higher complexity of the human genome and a greater need for diverse protein functions. While yeast have fewer alternatively spliced genes, their eukaryotic nature is advantageous for studying similar protein modifications observed in human cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alternative splicing is less crucial in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) than in humans as yeast have fewer genes that undergo alternative splicing. In humans, over 95% of multi-exon genes are alternatively spliced, which contributes significantly to protein diversity without increasing the genome size. This process allows for the production of different protein isoforms from the same gene, which can have diverse functions and regulatory roles in different tissues or developmental stages.
In yeast, while alternative splicing does occur, it is not as extensive or complex as in humans. The advantage of yeast in research lies in its eukaryotic nature, enabling the study of protein modifications that are similar to those in human cells. However, the simplicity of the yeast genome compared to the human genome means alternative splicing is not as prominent a mechanism for gene regulation. This is underscored by the fact that yeast can express human proteins due to their eukaryotic cells handling post-translational modifications similar to human cells, emphasizing the evolutionary conservation of some cellular mechanisms.
Thus, given the greater complexity and necessity for elaborate regulation in humans, the importance of alternative splicing is much higher in human cells compared to yeast. This complexity provides humans with a means to maximize the potential of their genome and adapt to various environmental conditions and regulatory demands without the need for a different gene for every potential protein.