Research Sheds Light on Mysterious Messenger RNA Modifications
Published:09 Mar.2022 Source:University of Birmingham
A team led by scientists at the University of Birmingham has come a step closer to uncovering the purpose of a distinctive set of modifications found at the beginning of messenger RNA which have long remained a fundamental mystery in molecular biology.
Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are vital for protein production. Their specific structure at the beginning of the chain, called a cap, has two main functions. It protects the mRNA from breaking down, but also it plays a key role in the way the messenger RNA produces proteins.