HINGE EXONS Meaning and
Definition
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Hinge exons are regions within a gene that play a critical role in the splicing process of pre-mRNA molecules. Pre-mRNA, or precursor mRNA, refers to the primary transcript of a gene that undergoes several modifications, including splicing, before it is translated into a functional protein.
The splicing process involves the removal of non-coding regions, called introns, and the joining of coding regions, called exons, within pre-mRNA molecules. Hinge exons are exons located between two alternative exons, and they contain specific regulatory sequences that influence the splicing outcome. These hinge exons act as a switch that controls the inclusion or exclusion of neighboring exons during splicing.
The regulatory sequences present in hinge exons can bind specific proteins, known as splicing factors or regulatory proteins, that either enhance or inhibit the splicing process. These proteins interact with other components of the spliceosome, a large complex responsible for the splicing of pre-mRNA molecules, and modulate the selection of nearby exons.
Hinge exons contribute to the remarkable diversity of proteins generated from a single gene by promoting alternative splicing events. Alternative splicing is a mechanism that allows a single gene to produce multiple mRNA isoforms, which can then be translated into distinct protein variants. By including or excluding hinge exons, alternative splicing enables cells to generate proteins with different functions, subcellular localizations, or expression levels. Therefore, hinge exons are crucial elements that expand the functional repertoire of proteins in living organisms.
Common Misspellings for HINGE EXONS
- ginge exons
- binge exons
- ninge exons
- jinge exons
- uinge exons
- yinge exons
- hunge exons
- hjnge exons
- hknge exons
- honge exons
- h9nge exons
- h8nge exons
- hibge exons
- himge exons
- hijge exons
- hihge exons
- hinfe exons
- hinve exons
- hinbe exons
- hinhe exons
Etymology of HINGE EXONS
The term "hinge exons" does not have a specific etymology because it is a compound term made up of two separate words, "hinge" and "exons", each with their respective etymologies.
The word "hinge" originates from the Old English word "henge" or "hengen", which means "a circular or semicircular projection on which a door, gate, or lid swings as it opens and closes". It can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "hangijō" and the Proto-Indo-European root "keng-" meaning "to bend" or "to curve".
On the other hand, "exon" is a term used in genetics to refer to coding regions within a gene that are transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and ultimately translated into proteins.
