What is an isoform?

An isoform is a variant of a protein that is produced by alternative splicing of the gene encoding that protein. This process allows for the production of multiple protein isoforms with potentially different functions or characteristics from a single gene. Isoforms can differ in their amino acid sequence, subcellular localization, post-translational modifications, and interactions with other proteins.

Isoforms play important roles in various biological processes, such as cell signaling, gene expression, and cell differentiation. They can have unique functions or complement each other in a coordinated manner to regulate specific pathways or processes in the cell. Studying isoforms can help researchers understand the complexity of protein function and regulation in cells.

Examples of isoforms include different splice variants of a receptor protein that can bind different ligands, isoforms of enzymes with distinct substrate specificities, or isoforms of transcription factors that regulate different sets of target genes. Understanding the functions and regulation of isoforms is crucial for advancing our knowledge of cell biology and disease mechanisms.