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RNA Splicing

RNA 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...

RNA Splicing

RNA Splicing

Pre-mRNA Processing: RNA Splicing

Pre-mRNA Processing: RNA Splicing

Chromatin Structure and RNA Splicing

Chromatin Structure and RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA Splicing

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...

Alternative RNA Splicing

Alternative RNA Splicing

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast

Published on: June 30, 2022

Diversity and evolution of spliceosomal systems.

Scott William Roy¹, Manuel Irimia

¹Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|February 20, 2014

Summary

Eukaryotic gene structures were once complex, but many lineages independently simplified. Alternative splicing is common but mainly regulatory, except in animals where it produces diverse proteins.

Area of Science:

Genomics
Evolutionary Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Eukaryotic nuclear genomes display significant diversity in intron-exon structures.
Comparative genomics enables tracing the evolutionary history of this diversity.
Previous assumptions about gene structure evolution are being challenged.

Purpose of the Study:

To reconstruct the evolutionary history of intron-exon structures in eukaryotes.
To investigate the evolution of spliceosomal systems and alternative splicing.
To understand the functional roles of alternative splicing across diverse lineages.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of genome sequences from diverse eukaryotic species.
Examination of spliceosomal systems in a broad evolutionary context.

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Published on: April 22, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 2, 2026

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast

ACT1-CUP1 Assays Determine the Substrate-Specific Sensitivities of Spliceosomal Mutants in Budding Yeast

Published on: June 30, 2022

A Reporter Based Cellular Assay for Monitoring Splicing Efficiency

A Reporter Based Cellular Assay for Monitoring Splicing Efficiency

Published on: September 15, 2021

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes

Using the E1A Minigene Tool to Study mRNA Splicing Changes

Published on: April 22, 2021

Application of next-generation sequencing for transcript analysis.

Main Results:

Early eukaryotic ancestors likely possessed complex gene structures, resembling those found in animals and plants.
A trend of pronounced simplification in gene structures, splicing signals, and spliceosomal machinery occurred independently across many eukaryotic lineages.
Alternative splicing is more widespread across eukaryotes than previously recognized, often serving regulatory functions.

Conclusions:

The evolution of eukaryotic gene structure involved significant simplification in multiple independent lineages.
While alternative splicing is common, its role in producing protein diversity is predominantly observed in animals.
The spliceosomal system and gene structure have undergone complex evolutionary trajectories, defying simple models.