Final answer:
Alternative splicing allows one gene to produce multiple protein variants, a process facilitated by snRNPs within the spliceosome. A minor class of introns is processed by an alternative spliceosome using a different set of snRNPs, highlighting the complexity of eukaryotic gene regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Alternative Splicing and snRNPs
Splicing is an essential process for the generation of mature mRNAs in eukaryotic cells. Small ribonuclear proteins (snRNPs) play a key role in this process. They bind to specific sites on a pre-mRNA and direct the removal and joining—or splicing—of coding sequences, known as exons. The spliceosome is a complex assembly of snRNPs and additional proteins that catalyzes this process.
Alternative splicing is a regulatory mechanism that allows a single gene to produce multiple protein variants. This is achieved by selectively including or excluding certain introns or exons during mRNA processing. Up to 70 percent of human genes are regulated in this manner, highlighting the versatility and complexity of gene expression.
Minor class of introns are processed by an alternative spliceosome, which uses a distinct set of snRNPs, not the standard U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6 snRNPs typically involved in splicing. This alternate spliceosome is responsible for the removal of less common introns that have different consensus sequences at their boundaries.