The Interrupted Gene Flashcards

Flashcards on Interrupted Genes and RNA Processing

Interrupted Gene

A gene in which the coding sequence is not continuous due to the presence of introns.

Primary (RNA) Transcript

The original unmodified RNA product corresponding to a transcription unit.

RNA Splicing

The process of excising introns from RNA and connecting the exons into a continuous mRNA.

Intron

A segment of DNA that is transcribed, but later removed from within the transcript by splicing together the sequences (exons) on either side of it.

Mature Transcript

A modified RNA transcript, which may include the removal of intron sequences and alterations to the 5′ and 3′ ends.

cDNA

A single-stranded DNA complementary to an RNA, synthesized from it by reverse transcription in vitro.

Overlapping Gene

A gene in which part of the sequence is found within part of the sequence of another gene.

Gene Family

A set of genes within a genome that encodes related or identical proteins or RNAs.

Superfamily

A set of genes all related by presumed descent from a common ancestor, but now showing considerable variation.

Exons

Coding regions that remain in the same order in mRNA as in DNA after intron removal.

Alternative Splicing

A process where different combinations of exons are used to generate mRNAs that have different combinations of exons.

Base Composition Rules

The four rules for DNA base composition: the first and second parity rules, the cluster rule, and the GC rule.

Homologous Genes (Homologs)

Genes that share common features that preceded their evolutionary separation.

Intron Conservation

Introns are usually conserved when homologous genes are compared between different organisms.

Exon Length

Exons are usually short, typically encoding fewer than 100 amino acids.