Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Pre-mRNA
Pre-mRNA (preliminary mRNA) is a single strand of ribonucleic acid (RNA), synthesized from the DNA in the nucleus of a cell by the process transcription.
In eukaryotes, the pre-mRNA includes two different types of segments: exons and introns. Exons are those parts that code for polypeptides, while introns are not to be expressed and must be excised before translation may occur. Spliceosomes, small organelles found in the nucleus and made up of protein and RNA, perform the excision. They also attach new non-coding segments to the leading and trailing ends of the mRNA. This process is called splicing. After splicing, the mRNA is further processed by adding a 5' cap and polyadenylation. When the mRNA has been properly processed, it is exported out of the nucleus and to a ribosome for translation.
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