Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 A General Introduction to 3-D Structures
- 2 The Higher Organization of the Genome
- 3 Structure of DNA and Telomeres
- 4 DNA Replication
- 5 Transcription in Prokaryotes
- 6 Transcription in Eukaryotes
- 7 Splicing
- 8 Modifications of mRNA
- 9 Compartmentalization of Transcription
- 10 Protein Synthesis
- 11 The Birth and Death of Proteins
- Further Reading and References
- Index
7 - Splicing
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 May 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- 1 A General Introduction to 3-D Structures
- 2 The Higher Organization of the Genome
- 3 Structure of DNA and Telomeres
- 4 DNA Replication
- 5 Transcription in Prokaryotes
- 6 Transcription in Eukaryotes
- 7 Splicing
- 8 Modifications of mRNA
- 9 Compartmentalization of Transcription
- 10 Protein Synthesis
- 11 The Birth and Death of Proteins
- Further Reading and References
- Index
Summary
PRIMER Transcription produces an RNA transcript, which contains the entire nucleotide sequence as it is imprinted in the DNA. In other words, the primary RNA transcript also contains the intronic sequences. These intronic sequences must be removed to create a continuous coding sequence that will be able to be translated to a protein. The process of intron removal is called splicing. However, not all introns are spliced-out the same way. Depending on the mechanism involved in their splicing, the introns are divided into three groups. In this chapter, I will present the steps of intron removal, emphasizing the 3-D structure of RNAs and proteins involved. Some introns are removed with the help of proteins, but others self-catalyze their cleavage. Therefore, the 3-D structure of the introns must be important in splicing and will be presented in order to visualize the mechanism. The determination of the 3-D structure of self-catalyzed introns is another celebrated example of how the structure reveals the function.
Transcription results in the production of the primary RNA transcript that is a copy of the DNA sequences. These sequences also contain the introns that do not contribute to the translation process that decodes the DNA sequences and produce proteins. Therefore, the intronic sequences must be removed. This process of splicing is very complex and depends on the type of introns. Some introns require a complex machinery, composed of proteins and RNAs, called the spiceosome.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Anatomy of Gene RegulationA Three-dimensional Structural Analysis, pp. 153 - 171Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003