RNA splicingRNA splicing is a process in molecular biology where a newly-made precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) transcript is transformed into a mature messenger RNA (mRNA). It works by removing all the introns (non-coding regions of RNA) and splicing back together exons (coding regions). For nuclear-encoded genes, splicing occurs in the nucleus either during or immediately after transcription.
Primary transcriptA primary transcript is the single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) product synthesized by transcription of DNA, and processed to yield various mature RNA products such as mRNAs, tRNAs, and rRNAs. The primary transcripts designated to be mRNAs are modified in preparation for translation. For example, a precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) is a type of primary transcript that becomes a messenger RNA (mRNA) after processing.
Messenger RNAMessenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is a single-stranded molecule of RNA that corresponds to the genetic sequence of a gene, and is read by a ribosome in the process of synthesizing a protein. mRNA is created during the process of transcription, where an enzyme (RNA polymerase) converts the gene into primary transcript mRNA (also known as pre-mRNA). This pre-mRNA usually still contains introns, regions that will not go on to code for the final amino acid sequence.
Translation (biology)Translation is the process in biological cells in which proteins are produced using RNA molecules as templates. The generated protein is a sequence of amino acids determined by the sequence of nucleotides in the RNA. The nucleotides are considered three at a time. Each such triple results in the addition of one specific amino acid to the protein being generated. The matching from nucleotide triple to amino acid is called the genetic code.
PolyadenylationAddition of adenylic acids to 3' end of mature mRNATypical structure of a mature eukaryotic mRNAPolyadenylation is the addition of a poly(A) tail to an RNA transcript, typically a messenger RNA (mRNA). The poly(A) tail consists of multiple adenosine monophosphates; in other words, it is a stretch of RNA that has only adenine bases. In eukaryotes, polyadenylation is part of the process that produces mature mRNA for translation.
ProteinBiomolecule consisting of chains of amino acid residuesA representation of the 3D structure of the protein myoglobin showing turquoise α-helices. This protein was the first to have its structure solved by X-ray crystallography. Toward the right-center among the coils, a prosthetic group called a heme group (shown in gray) with a bound oxygen molecule (red).Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acidresidues.
Cell nucleusOrganelle in eukaryotic cellsHeLa cells stained for nuclear DNA with the blue fluorescentHoechst dye. The central and rightmost cells are in interphase, thus their entire nuclei are labeled. On the left, a cell is going through mitosis and its DNA has condensed.The cell nucleus (from Latin nucleus or nuculeus 'kernel, seed'; pl.: nuclei) is a membrane-bound organelle found in eukaryotic cells.
Transcription (biology)Transcription is the process of duplicating a segment of DNA into RNA for the purpose of gene expression. Some segments of DNA are transcribed into RNA molecules that can encode proteins, called messenger RNA (mRNA). Other segments of DNA are transcribed into RNA molecules called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Both DNA and RNA are nucleic acids, composed of nucleotide sequences.
RNAFamily of large biological moleculesA hairpin loop from a pre-mRNA. Highlighted are the nucleobases (green) and the ribose-phosphate backbone (blue). This is a single strand of RNA that folds back upon itself. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA).
GeneSequence of DNA that determines traits in an organismIn biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of . The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protein-coding genes and non-coding genes. During gene expression (the synthesis of RNA or protein from a gene), DNA is first copied into RNA.
EukaryoteDomain of life whose cells have nucleiThe eukaryotes () are cellularorganisms of the domainEukaryota or Eukarya, which have a distinct cell nucleus (formed by a nuclear membrane), membrane-bound organelles and organization supported by a cytoskeleton. Extant eukaryotes are traditionally grouped into four kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi and protists.
Five-prime capIn molecular biology, the five-prime cap (5′ cap) is a specially altered nucleotide on the 5′ end of some primary transcripts such as precursor messenger RNA. In eukaryotes, the main form is mRNA capping, a highly regulated process that uses 7-methylguanosine, vital in the creation of stable and mature messenger RNA able to undergo translation during protein synthesis. Mitochondrial mRNA and chloroplastic mRNA are not capped. There are also alternative caps.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.