RNA splicing

Definition

RNA 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 and splicing back together exons. For nuclear-encoded genes, splicing occurs in the nucleus either during or immediately after transcription. For those eukaryotic genes that contain introns, splicing is usually needed to create an mRNA molecule that can be translated into protein. For many eukaryotic introns, splicing occurs in a series of reactions which are catalyzed by the spliceosome, a complex of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs). There exist self-splicing introns, that is, ribozymes that can catalyze their own excision from their parent RNA molecule. The process of transcription, splicing and translation is called gene expression, the central dogma of molecular biology.

Related concepts

Adenosine monophosphate Adenosine triphosphate Alternative splicing Archaea Archaeal transcription Archaeal translation Bacterial transcription Bacterial translation Brca1 CDNA Caenorhabditis elegans Catalyst Cell nucleus Central dogma of molecular biology Cis-regulatory element Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor Cleavage factor Cleavage stimulation factor Consensus sequence Cytosol DBASS3/5 DCP1A DCP1B DCP2 DCPS (gene)DNA DNA damage (naturally occurring)DNA repair Drosophila melanogaster EDC3 EDC4 ERCC1 Endonuclease Epigenetics Eukaryote Eukaryotic transcription Eukaryotic translation Exon Exon junction complex Extein Five-prime cap François Jacob Gene Gene expression Gene regulatory network Genetic code Genomic imprinting Group III intron Group II intron Group I catalytic intron HIV integration Histone acetylation and deacetylation Indel Intein Introduction to genetics Intron Jacques Monod Journal Citation Reports Lac operon MRNA Mature messenger RNA Medical Subject Headings Messenger RNA Messenger RNA decapping MicroRNA Minor spliceosome Molecular Biology of the Cell (book)Molecular biology Morpholino Non-coding RNA Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay Nuclear genes Nuclear speckles Nucleic acid notation Nucleophilic attack Nucleoside Oligonucleotide Outron P-bodies PABPN1 PLRG1 PRPF18 PRPF19 PRPF3 PRPF31 PRPF38A PRPF38B PRPF39 PRPF4 PRPF40A PRPF40B PRPF4B PRPF6 PRPF8 Peptide nucleic acid Phosphorylation Point mutation Poly(A)-binding protein Polyadenylation Polynucleotide adenylyltransferase Polypyrimidine tract Polyuridylation Post-transcriptional modification Post-transcriptional regulation Post-translational modification Post-translational regulation Pre-mRNA Precursor mRNA Precursor messenger RNA Primary transcript Prion Prokaryote Promoter (genetics)Protein Protein splicing Proteins Proteolysis Pyrimidine RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RNA editing RNA ligase (ATP)RNA polymerase RNA world Reading frame Regulation of gene expression Reverse transcription Ribosomal RNA Ribosome Ribosome-nascent chain complex Ribozyme SF1 (gene)SWAP protein domain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Self-splicing intron SnRNP Spliceosome Split gene theory Stop codon TRNA TSEN15 TSEN2 TSEN34 TSEN54 Thomson Reuters Three domain system Trans-splicing Transcription (biology)Transcription (genetics)Transcription factor Transcriptional regulation Transesterification Transfer RNA Translation (biology)Translational regulation Transposable element U11 spliceosomal RNA U12 minor spliceosomal RNA U1 spliceosomal RNA U2AF1 U2AF2 U2 small nuclear RNA auxiliary factor 1 U2 spliceosomal RNA U4 spliceosomal RNA U4atac minor spliceosomal RNA U5 spliceosomal RNA U6 spliceosomal RNA U6atac minor spliceosomal RNA Ultrabithorax Web of Science Yeast

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