Small nuclear RNA
Small nuclear RNA
Small nuclear RNA (snRNA), pronounced as /ɛs ɛn ɑːr eɪ/, is a class of small RNA molecules that are found within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. They are commonly referred to as snRNAs and are key components of the spliceosome, a large RNA-protein complex responsible for the splicing of pre-messenger RNA.
Etymology
The term "small nuclear RNA" is derived from its characteristics. "Small" refers to the size of the RNA molecule, which is typically between 100-200 nucleotides in length. "Nuclear" indicates its location within the cell, specifically in the nucleus. "RNA" is an acronym for ribonucleic acid, a type of molecule that plays many pivotal roles in the coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
Function
snRNAs are involved in a variety of important cellular processes. Most notably, they form the core of the spliceosome, the molecular machinery that carries out RNA splicing. RNA splicing is the process by which introns, non-coding regions of pre-mRNA, are removed and exons, the coding regions, are joined together to form a mature mRNA molecule. This mature mRNA can then be translated into a protein.
In addition to their role in splicing, snRNAs also play a role in other cellular processes such as RNA editing, gene regulation, and maintaining the stability of other RNA molecules.
Related Terms
- RNA: Ribonucleic acid, a molecule similar to DNA. RNA is generally single-stranded and plays many roles in protein synthesis and gene regulation.
- Nucleus: The central and most important part of a cell, serving as the command center for cellular operations.
- Spliceosome: A large and complex molecular machine found primarily within the splicing speckles of the cell nucleus of eukaryotic cells.
- Intron: A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule that does not code for proteins and interrupts the sequence of genes.
- Exon: A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Small nuclear RNA
- Wikipedia's article - Small nuclear RNA
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