RNA Processing and Gene Expression

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to RNA processing, gene structure, and the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression.

Prokaryotes vs Eukaryotes

In prokaryotes, transcription and translation occur simultaneously in the same compartment, while in eukaryotes, transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation occurs in the cytoplasm.

Introns

Noncoding regions of DNA that are removed during RNA splicing.

Exons

Coding regions of DNA that are retained in mRNA after splicing.

mRNA Splicing

The process of removing introns and joining exons to produce a mature mRNA transcript.

5' Cap

A modified guanine nucleotide added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA to enhance stability and promote ribosome binding.

Polyadenylation

The addition of a poly(A) tail to the 3' end of mRNA, which increases stability and facilitates export from the nucleus.

Alternative Splicing

A process that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins by varying which exons are included in the final mRNA.

Spliceosome

A complex of proteins and RNA that carries out splicing of introns from pre-mRNA.

Capping Enzymes

Proteins involved in the addition of the 5' cap to mRNA during transcription.

RNA Editing

The process by which RNA molecules can be chemically modified after transcription, altering nucleotide sequences.

Polycistronic mRNA

A type of mRNA found in prokaryotes that can encode multiple proteins from a single transcript.

Monocistronic mRNA

A type of eukaryotic mRNA that encodes a single protein.

Shine-Dalgarno Sequence

A ribosomal binding site on prokaryotic mRNA that helps initiate translation.

Group I Intron

A type of intron that is self-splicing and typically found in some rRNA genes.

Guide RNA

A molecule that plays a role in RNA editing, pairing with pre-mRNA to direct the addition or alteration of bases.

tRNA Processing

The series of modifications including cleavage and splicing that generate mature tRNA from precursor tRNA.

Isoforms

Different versions of proteins that can arise from a single gene due to alternative splicing.

RNA Polymerase II

The enzyme responsible for synthesizing mRNA in eukaryotic cells.

Ribosomes

Molecular machines that facilitate the translation of mRNA into protein.