Structures Involved in Tetrahymena rRNA Self-splicing and RNA Enzyme Activity

In eukaryotic genes, coding sequences in the DNA are often interrupted by stretches of noncoding DNA. These intervening sequences (IVSs), or introns, are transcribed along with the flanking coding sequences (exons) to give a large precursor RNA. RNA splicing is the process by which the IVSs are removed from the precursor and the exons are ligated.