Question

The human gene encoding for calcitonin contains six exons and five introns and is located on chromosome 11. The pre-mRNA transcript from this gene can generate either calcitonin or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in a tissue-specific manner. Calcitonin produced from the thyroid gland is 32 amino acids long and functions to regulate calcium while CGRP, which contains 37 amino acids, is produced by brain cells and involved in the transmission of pain. Which of the following processes makes the production of two functionally and structurally different proteins from the same gene possible?

a) Alternative splicing
b) Transcriptional regulation
c) Post-translational modification
d) RNA editing
e) RNA degradation

Answer 1

Alternative splicing allows the production of two different proteins from the same gene.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process that makes the production of two functionally and structurally different proteins from the same gene possible is alternative splicing. Alternative splicing is a mechanism that allows different exons of a gene to be included or excluded from the final mRNA transcript, leading to the production of multiple protein isoforms. In the case of the human gene encoding calcitonin, the pre-mRNA transcript can be alternatively spliced to generate either calcitonin or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in a tissue-specific manner.