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Updated: May 12, 2026
10:25
Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes
Published on: April 22, 2021
Structural analyses of the pre-mRNA splicing machinery
Lingdi Zhang1, Xueni Li, Rui Zhao
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society
|April 18, 2013
Summary
Pre-mRNA splicing, essential for gene expression, is performed by the spliceosome, a complex molecular machine. Recent structural studies reveal insights into its dynamic nature and function.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Pre-mRNA splicing is a fundamental process in eukaryotic gene expression.
- The spliceosome, a large ribonucleoprotein complex, catalyzes this essential reaction.
- Understanding spliceosome structure is key to elucidating its dynamic function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in structural analyses of the spliceosome.
- To connect structural findings with spliceosome function.
- To highlight progress despite the dynamic nature of the complex.
Main Methods:
- Electron microscopy (EM)
- X-ray crystallography
- Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy
Main Results:
- Significant progress in determining the structure of the spliceosome and its components.
- Insights into the dynamic conformational changes during splicing.
- Detailed understanding of interactions between snRNAs and protein factors.
Conclusions:
- Recent structural studies have overcome challenges posed by spliceosome dynamics.
- These advancements provide critical insights into the mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing.
- Structural data is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of spliceosome function.
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01:32RNA Splicing
Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
01:32RNA Splicing
Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
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In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
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In eukaryotic cells, transcripts made by RNA polymerase are modified and processed before exiting the nucleus. Unprocessed RNA is called precursor mRNA or pre-mRNA to distinguish it from mature mRNA.
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
Once about 20-40 ribonucleotides have been joined together by RNA polymerase, a group of enzymes adds a “cap” to the 5’ end of the growing transcript. In this process, a 5’ phosphate is replaced by modified guanosine that has a methyl group attached to it (7-Methyl guanosine). This 5’ cap helps the...
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Splicing is the process by which eukaryotic RNA is edited before its translation into protein. The RNA strand transcribed from eukaryotic DNA is called the primary transcript. The primary transcripts that become mRNAs are called precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs). Eukaryotic pre-mRNA contains alternating sequences of exons and introns. Exons are nucleotide sequences that code for proteins, whereas introns are the non-coding regions. In RNA splicing, introns are removed and exons are bonded...
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Alternative RNA splicing is the regulated splicing of exons and introns to produce different mature mRNAs from a single pre-mRNA. Unlike in constitutive splicing where a single gene produces a single type of mRNA, alternative splicing allows an organism to produce multiple proteins from a single gene and plays an important role in protein diversity.
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...
There are five types of alternative RNA splicing that vary in the ways the pre-mRNA segments are removed or retained in the mature mRNA. The first...