How Can One Detect Alternative Splicing of Transcripts from a Given

Question

How can one detect alternative splicing of transcripts from a given gene?
A)compare the DNA sequence of the given gene to that of a similar gene in a related organism
B)measure the relative rates of transcription of the given gene compared to that of a gene known to be constitutively spliced
C)compare the sequences of different primary transcripts made from the given gene
D)compare the sequences of different mRNAs made from the given gene
E)measure the amount of mRNA in the nucleus compared to that found in the cytoplasm

Accepted Answer

Alternative splicing leads to the formation of different mRNAs from the same pre-mRNA transcript, therefore comparing the sequences of different mRNAs made from the given gene can detect alternative splicing. Choices A and B are not effective because they do not directly measure alternative splicing. Choice C can detect alternative splicing as well but is less efficient because it requires isolating and analyzing different primary transcripts. Choice E is not relevant to detecting alternative splicing.