Polyadenylation

Definition

Polyadenylation 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. In many bacteria, the poly(A) tail promotes degradation of the mRNA. It, therefore, forms part of the larger process of gene expression.

Related concepts

3′ end 40S 5′ cap Adenine Adenosine diphosphate Adenosine monophosphate Adenosine triphosphate Alfalfa mosaic virus Alternative splicing Archaea Archaeal transcription Archaeal translation Bacteria Bacterial transcription Bacterial translation Budding yeast CCR4-Not CPEB CPSF CSTF2 Cell nucleus Central dogma of molecular biology Chemical synapse Cis-regulatory element Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor Cleavage factor Cleavage stimulation factor Cleavage stimulatory factor Coronavirus Cyanobacteria Cytosine Cytosol DCP1A DCP1B DCP2 DCPS (gene)DNA DNA methylation Degradosome Directionality (molecular biology)Domain (biology)Duck Hepatitis A EDC3 EDC4 Egg activation Embryogenesis Enzyme Epigenetics Eukaryote Eukaryotic initiation factor Eukaryotic transcription Eukaryotic translation Exon Exosome complex Five-prime cap François Jacob GLD-2 Gene Gene expression Gene regulatory network Genetic code Genomic imprinting Germline Guanine HIV-1 Haloferax Histone Histone 3′ UTR stem-loop Histone acetylation and deacetylation Influenza A Introduction to genetics Intron Jacques Monod Lac operon Last universal ancestor Lipopolysaccharide Long-term potentiation Long noncoding RNA Lysozyme Macrophage Mary Edmonds Messenger RNA Messenger RNA decapping MicroRNA Minor spliceosome Mitochondrion Mycoplasma gallisepticum Neuron Non-coding RNA Nucleotide Oocyte P-bodies PABPC1 PABPN1 PARN PLRG1 PRPF18 PRPF19 PRPF3 PRPF31 PRPF38A PRPF38B PRPF39 PRPF4 PRPF40A PRPF40B PRPF4B PRPF6 PRPF8 PUM1 Phosphorylation Plastid Poliovirus Poly(A)-binding protein Polyadenylate polymerase Polymerase Polynucleotide adenylyltransferase Polynucleotide phosphorylase Polyuridylation Post-transcriptional modification Post-transcriptional regulation Post-translational modification Post-translational regulation Precursor mRNA Primary transcript Prion Processivity Promoter (genetics)Protein Protein complex Proteolysis Pyrophosphate RNA RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RNA editing RNA polymerase RNA polymerase II RNA splicing RNA virus Regulation of gene expression Reverse transcription Ribosomal RNA Ribosome Ribosome-nascent chain complex Ribosome profiling SV40 Saccharomyces cerevisiae Secondary structure Small nuclear RNA SnRNP SnoRNA Somatic cell Spliceosome Sylvie Doublié TRAMP complex TRNT1 Three prime untranslated region Transcription (biology)Transcription (genetics)Transcription factor Transcriptional regulation Transfer RNA Translation (biology)Translational regulation Trypanosomatid Tumor necrosis factor-alpha U1 spliceosomal RNA Uracil X chromosome inactivation Xist

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