BIO - TERMS - RNA Flashcards
7SL RNA
A component of the signal recognition particle and the grandfather of the Alu sequences.
alternative RNA splicing
Production of different RNAs from the same gene by splicing the transcript in different ways.
Antisense RNA
RNA that is complementary to the pre-mRNA or mRNA produced from a gene.
Defective interfering RNAs
Subgenomic RNAs that replicate more rapidly than full-length RNA and therefore compete for the components of the RNA synthesis machinery and interfere with the replication of full-length RNAs. (Chapter 6)
Functional RNAs
An alternative name for small RNAs.
Guide RNAs
RNA molecules that contain sequences that function as templates during RNA editing.
ncRNA (noncoding RNA)
Any RNA that does not encode instructions for a protein product.
noncoding RNA
An RNA molecule that is the final product of a gene and does not code for protein. These RNAs serve as enzymatic, structural, and regulatory components for a wide variety of processes in the cell.
piRNAs (piwi-interacting RNAs)
A class of small noncoding RNAs made in the germ line that, in complex with Piwi proteins, keep in check the movement of transposable elements by transcriptionally silencing transposon genes and destroying RNAs produced by them.
RNA exosome
A multisubunit complex involved in processing and editing of RNA.
RNA processing
The series of co- or posttranscriptional covalent modifications that produce mature mRNAs from primary transcripts. (Chapter 10)
RNA processing control
Regulation by a cell of gene expression by controlling the processing of RNA transcripts, which includes their splicing.
RNA pseudoknot
An RNA secondary structure formed when a single-stranded loop region base pairs with a complementary sequence outside the loop. (Chapter 6)
RNA transport and localization control
Regulation by a cell of gene expression by selecting which completed mRNAs are exported from the nucleus to the cytosol and determining where in the cytosol they are localized.
RNA world
Hypothesis that early life on Earth was based primarily on RNA molecules that both stored genetic information and catalyzed biochemical reactions.
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
The protein assembly required to carry out RNA synthesis. (Chapter 6)
RNA-seq
Sequencing the entire repertoire of RNA from a cell or tissue; also known as deep RNA sequencing.
ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing
Determination of the order of nucleotide bases in rRNA.
RNAi
RNA interference; stops gene expression at transcription by using a short interfering RNA to make double-stranded RNA.
Sense RNA
A primary transcript or mRNA that contains a coding region (contiguous sequence of codons) that is translated to produce a polypeptide.
Short interfering RNA (siRNA)
Double-stranded RNA molecules 21–28 base pairs long that mediate the phenomenon of RNA interference; also known as microRNA molecules.
Single guide RNA (sgRNA)
An RNA molecule able to guide a targeting endonuclease to a specific sequence in a genome.
single-stranded RNA (ssRNA)
Normally confined to the nucleus and cytoplasm, this normal molecular form serves as a ligand for TLR-7, TLR-8, and TLR-9 when it is present in endosomes, as during parts of a viral life cycle.
small hairpin RNA (shRNA)
A type of RNA that functions in a manner similar to miRNA. It is used in experiments where it is introduced into cells using a vector, such as a plasmid or virus. It can either block translation or lead to mRNA degradation.
small RNAs
A type of RNA that has a variety of functions within the cell, including silencing transcription and catalyzing chemical modiications of other RNA molecules.
TFIIX (Transcription Factor X for RNA polymerase II)
A protein required for the initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II in eukaryotes; X represents any one of several different factors designated A through F.
amanitin
A polypeptide toxin produced by Amanita spp., inhibits RNA polymerase.
Ambisense
Producing mRNAs from both ( - ) strand genomic RNA and the complementary ( + ) strand; refers to viral genomes. (Chapter 6)
Cap
A methylguanosine-containing structure at the 5′ end of eukaryotic messenger RNA.
Cap snatching
Cleavage of cellular RNA polymerase II transcripts by a viral endonuclease to produce capped primers for viral mRNA synthesis. (Chapters 6 and 10)
cellular differentiation
The process in which a precursor cell becomes specialized to carry out a particular function, by acquiring a new complement of proteins and RNA.
cleavage stimulation factor
A multi-subunit protein complex involved in the modification of the 3ʹ end of pre-messenger RNA for the addition of the polyadenine (polyA) tail.
conditional mutation
Mutation that changes a protein or RNA molecule so that its function is altered only under some conditions, such as at an unusually high or unusually low temperature.
ethambutol
A synthetic antimicrobial agent that interferes with the synthesis of RNA.
exosome
Large protein complex with an interior rich in 3′-to-5′ RNA exonucleases; degrades RNA molecules to produce ribonucleotides.
gene silencing
A mechanism to inhibit gene expression. See RNAi.
general transcription factor
Any of the proteins whose assembly at all promoters of a given type is required for the binding and activation of RNA polymerase and the initiation of transcription.
Intrinsic cellular defenses
The conserved cellular programs that respond to various stresses, such as starvation, irradiation, and infection; intrinsic defenses include apoptosis, autophagy, and RNA interference. (Chapters 2 and 3)
iron-responsive element-binding protein (IREP)
A protein involved in iron metabolism that interacts with messenger RNA to either inhibit translation of iron storage proteins (e.g., ferritin) or enhance the stability of iron transporters such as transferrin receptors. IREPs are active proteins in iron deficiency.
Latency-associated transcript
RNA produced specifi cally during a latent infection by herpes simplex virus. (Chapter 5)