What is a snRNP?
Q: What is a snRNP?
A: A snRNP (or 'snurp') is a small nuclear RNA molecule that joins with proteins to form spliceosomes.
Q: What does alternative splicing involve?
A: Alternative splicing involves the rearrangement of gene parts in order to produce different proteins from the same gene. This process produces alternative messenger RNAs, which then create different proteins.
Q: How long is the snRNA component of a snurp typically?
A: The snRNA component of a snurp is usually around 150 nucleotides in length.
Q: What role do snRNPs play in cell development?
A: SnRNPs act both as an enzyme (catalyst) and build structure, playing an important role in cell development.
Q: Who discovered snRNPs?
A: Michael Lerner and Joan Steitz were the first to discover snRNPs, although Thomas Cech and Sidney Altman also played a role in their discovery and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1989 for their independent discoveries that RNA can act as a catalyst in cell development.
Q: What are exons and introns?
A: Exons are coding bits found within genes that code for proteins, while introns are non-coding bits that separate exons within genes.
Q: How do spliceosomes control alternative splicing?
A: Spliceosomes control the details of alternative splicing by recognizing sequences at the ends and branch sites of introns using specific small nuclear RNAs (snRNA).
