Biology

RNA Splicing

RNA Splicing

Introduction

• RNA splicing is a crucial process in gene expression that involves the removal of introns and the joining of exons in a primary transcript to form a mature mRNA.

1. Primary Transcript

• Initially, a gene is transcribed in full to produce a primary transcript of RNA.
• This primary transcript includes both introns and exons, which are segments of the gene.

2. Processing the Primary Transcript

• The primary transcript of mRNA undergoes a critical process known as RNA splicing.
• During splicing, the introns (non-coding regions) are removed, and the exons (coding regions) are joined together.
• This process is essential for generating a functional mRNA molecule.

3. Formation of Mature Transcript

• After RNA splicing, a mature transcript of mRNA is formed.
• This mature mRNA lacks the introns and consists only of exons.
• It is the mature mRNA that serves as the template for protein synthesis during translation.

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RNA Splicing

Benefits of RNA Splicing

• RNA splicing is essential because it allows a single gene to produce multiple different proteins.
• By choosing different combinations of exons and introns, alternative splicing can generate diverse mature transcripts.
• Different mature transcripts lead to the production of distinct proteins, enhancing the diversity of gene products.

Alternative RNA Splicing

• An exciting aspect of RNA splicing is alternative splicing.
• Alternative splicing allows different combinations of exons to be included or excluded from the mature transcript, resulting in various protein isoforms.
• This contributes to the complexity of gene regulation and protein diversity in cells.