Splice site

Splice Site

A splice site is a region of DNA or RNA that is involved in the process of RNA splicing. RNA splicing is a modification of the pre-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) transcript in which introns are removed and exons are joined. This process is needed for the correct translation of the transcript into a protein.

Function

Splice sites are crucial for the accurate removal of introns and the joining of exons within a pre-mRNA transcript. They are recognized by the spliceosome, a large RNA-protein complex responsible for RNA splicing. The spliceosome identifies the splice sites at the ends of introns and catalyzes the splicing reaction.

Types of Splice Sites

There are two types of splice sites: the 5' splice site and the 3' splice site. The 5' splice site, also known as the donor site, is located at the 5' end of the intron. The 3' splice site, also known as the acceptor site, is located at the 3' end of the intron.

Mutations

Mutations in splice sites can lead to abnormal RNA splicing and are a common cause of genetic diseases. These mutations can either disrupt the recognition of the splice site by the spliceosome or create a new splice site that is recognized by the spliceosome, leading to the inclusion of intronic sequences in the mature mRNA.

See Also

• RNA splicing
• Intron
• Exon
• Spliceosome
• Mutation

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