Mosaic genes
A mosaic gene is an outdated name for a eukaryotic gene which, in contrast to prokaryotic genes, also contains non-coding sections, so-called introns .
Coding sequences are sections of DNA which, after transcription into RNA , are translated by the ribosomes into the amino acid sequence of a protein . The introns are spliced after the DNA has been transcribed into RNA from the primary transcript . The RNA protein-coding RNA freed from introns is referred to as messenger RNA ( mRNA ). This is subjected to further modifications such as capping and polyadenylation .
Mosaic refers in this case to the structure of the original gene (example: exon intron-exon-intron-exon). Mosaic genes can be translated into different proteins by alternative splicing .
In 1977 Phillip A. Sharp and Richard J. Roberts were able to show for the first time that eukaryotic genes do not consist of a single continuous coding nucleotide sequence. Both received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discovery of the mosaic genes".
Individual evidence
- ^ Information from the Nobel Foundation on the 1993 award ceremony for Phillip Allen Sharp and Richard John Roberts (English)