mRNA Life Cycle and Regulation

mRNA definition and role in protein synthesis

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is a single-stranded RNA molecule that carries the genetic information of a gene and is read by ribosomes to synthesize proteins. mRNA is produced during transcription, when RNA polymerase copies DNA into a primary transcript called pre-mRNA (especially in eukaryotes). Pre-mRNA is then processed—commonly by removing introns through splicing, adding a 5' cap, and adding a 3' poly(A) tail—to form mature mRNA. In protein synthesis, mature mRNA is translated by ribosomes. The nucleotide sequence is organized into codons (three nucleotides each), where each codon specifies an amino acid or signals termination via stop codons. Translation uses transfer RNA (tRNA) to match codons with amino acids and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) as part of the ribosome’s protein-manufacturing machinery. Thus, mRNA serves as the key intermediary between genetic information in nucleic acids and the final protein product, linking transcription to translation within the central dogma.

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Central dogma and genetic information flow

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