The removal of introns and joining of exons by the spliceosome to produce mature mRNA.
The spliceosome (snRNPs plus proteins) recognises a 5' GU donor site, a branch point A and a 3' AG acceptor site. Two transesterification reactions cut out the intron as a lariat and join exons.
Splicing errors cause diseases such as some forms of beta-thalassaemia.
The removal of introns and joining of exons by the spliceosome to produce mature mRNA.
Splicing is one of the 52 topics in Molecular Biology. It is rated Intermediate, so it suits learners who already know the core vocabulary. Related topics in this area include DNA Repair, Nonsense-Mediated Decay, RNA Processing.
The dystrophin gene has 79 exons joined into one mRNA.
Work through the Beginner topics in Molecular Biology first, such as Central Dogma, DNA Replication, Base Pairing, then return to Splicing. Intermediate topics assume the Beginner vocabulary.
The closest topics to Splicing are DNA Repair, Nonsense-Mediated Decay, RNA Processing, Alternative Splicing. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Splicing. To practise the whole of Molecular Biology, use the Molecular Biology quiz.
Splicing: The removal of introns and joining of exons by the spliceosome to produce mature mRNA. DNA Repair: Mechanisms such as mismatch, excision and double-strand break repair that fix errors and damage in DNA. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with DNA Repair and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Molecular Biology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
Mechanisms such as mismatch, excision and double-strand break repair that fix errors and damage in DNA.
🧫 Molecular BiologyA quality-control pathway that destroys mRNAs with premature stop codons.
🧫 Molecular BiologyIn eukaryotes, pre-mRNA gets a 5 prime cap, a poly-A tail and has introns spliced out.
🧫 Molecular BiologyDifferent exon combinations from one gene yield several protein variants.
🧫 Molecular Biology