biology

Mature messenger RNA

Mature messenger RNA is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mature messenger RNA rather than just read about it. In short: Mature messenger RNA, often abbreviated as mature mRNA is a eukaryotic RNA transcript that has been spliced and processed and is ready for translation in the course of protein synthesis. Unlike the eukaryotic RNA immediately after transcription known as precursor messenger RNA, mature mRNA consists exclusively of exons and has all introns removed.

Key takeaways

Mature messenger RNA belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mature messenger RNA to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mature messenger RNA from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mature messenger RNA, often abbreviated as mature mRNA is a eukaryotic RNA transcript that has been spliced and processed and is ready for translation in the course of protein synthesis. Unlike the eukaryotic RNA immediately after transcription known as precursor messenger RNA, mature mRNA consists exclusively of exons and has all introns removed.

Mature mRNA is also called "mature transcript", "mature RNA" or "mRNA". The production of a mature mRNA molecule occurs in 3 steps:

Capping of the 5' end Polyadenylation of the 3' end RNA Splicing of the introns

Capping the 5' End During capping, a 7-methylguanosine residue is attached to the 5'-terminal end of the primary transcripts. This is otherwise known as the GTP or 5' cap. The 5' cap is used to increase mRNA stability. Further, the 5' cap is used as an attachment point for ribosomes. Beyond this, the 5' cap has also been shown to have a role in exporting the mature mRNA from the nucleus and into the cytoplasm.

Polyadenylation In polyadenylation, a poly-adenosine tail of about 200 adenylate residues is added by a nuclear polymerase post-transcriptionally. This is known as a Poly-A tail and is used for stability and guidance, so that the mRNA can exit the nucleus and find the ribosome. It is added at a polyadenylation site in the 3' untranslated region of the mRNA, cleaving the mRNA in the process. When there are multiple polyadenylation sites on the same mRNA molecule, alternative polyadenylation can occur. See polyadenylation for further details.

RNA Splicing Pre-mRNA has both introns and exons. As a part of the maturation process, RNA splicing removes the non-coding RNA introns leaving behind the exons, which are then spliced and joined to form the mature mRNA. Splicing is conducted by the spliceosome. The spliceosome is a large ribonucleoprotein which cleaves the RNA at the splicing site and recombines the exons of the RNA. Similar to polyadenylation, alternative splicing can occur, resulting in several possible proteins being translated from the same portion of DNA. See RNA Splicing for further details.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mature messenger RNA

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mature messenger RNA claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mature messenger RNA before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mature messenger RNA ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mature messenger RNA

In research: Mature messenger RNA appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mature messenger RNA in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mature messenger RNA is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Biosynthesis, Gene expression, Metabolism, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mature messenger RNA outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Mature messenger RNA” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Mature messenger RNA in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mature messenger RNA means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mature messenger RNA out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mature messenger RNA in simple terms?

Why does Mature messenger RNA matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mature messenger RNA?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mature messenger RNA.