[Campbell Biology P.515] Two eukaryotic proteins are largely different but share a common do... | Practice Question

Two eukaryotic proteins are largely different but share a common domain. Which of the following processes is most likely to have contributed to this shared domain?

  • A: Gene duplication
  • B: Alternative splicing
  • C: Exon shuffling
  • D: Random point mutations

Explanation

Exon shuffling is a process where exons from different genes or within the same gene are exchanged, rearranged, or duplicated, leading to the formation of new genes or proteins with novel combinations of functional domains. This mechanism can explain how a protein domain can be shared between otherwise different proteins.