Definition for 5' capping
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Revision as of 14:07, 27 July 2012 by Howard (Talk | contribs) (Created page with "The 5' cap is a specially altered nucleotide on the 5' end of precursor messenger RNA and some other primary RNA transcripts as found in eukaryotes. The process of 5' capping is ...")
The 5' cap is a specially altered nucleotide on the 5' end of precursor messenger RNA and some other primary RNA transcripts as found in eukaryotes. The process of 5' capping is vital to creating mature messenger RNA, which is then able to undergo translation. Capping ensures the messenger RNA's stability while it undergoes translation in the process of protein synthesis, and is a highly regulated process that occurs in the cell nucleus. Because this only occurs in the nucleus, mitochondrial and chloroplast mRNA are not capped.