RNA Splicing Flashcards: Exon Junctions & Isoforms

Practice RNA splicing in 38 flashcards. Assemble mature mRNA, compare exon skipping and intron retention, and use exon junctions to tell isoforms apart.

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Start with a labeled pre-mRNA fragment and work out what stays in mature RNA. These 38 original English RNA splicing flashcards are for upper-secondary and introductory college biology learners who already read RNA in the 5′ → 3′ direction.

Use stated splice patterns to write mature fragments or calculate their lengths. Practice removing introns, skipping an exon, retaining an intron, and keeping an untranslated exon. Use exon order or sequence to name the junctions, locate a junction by base position, and take a short sequence window across it. Then work backward from a mapped junction, a sequence fragment, or length to decide which listed isoforms fit. Some observations match both models or neither. A few cards ask you to repair a proposed answer or group a codon across a join from a supplied start.

The order introduces pre-mRNA, exons, introns, and exon order before the first sequence exercise. It then mixes assembly, junction, length, and evidence checks, so you revisit each kind of task on new examples. The short RNA fragments are invented and model only the stated splice choices. Predicting splice sites from raw sequence takes additional evidence, and a mature fragment alone can’t reveal the sequences that were removed. Spliceosome chemistry and full protein prediction are outside this boundary and isoform drill. For worked examples, see the RNA splicing practice lesson.

The cards and examples were written independently with AI assistance. Factual references include the NHGRI RNA fact sheet, Dittmar et al. on alternative splicing, and Middleton et al. on intron retention. Original material, including the AI-generated decorative cover, is dedicated under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist.

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  1. Kad 1

    Soalan

    What do you call the RNA precursor that’s processed into mature mRNA?

    Jawapan

    Pre-mRNA, or precursor messenger RNA.

  2. Kad 2

    Soalan

    Can an exon contain bases in the 5′ untranslated region of a mature mRNA?

    Jawapan

    Yes. The 5′ untranslated region stays in the mature mRNA upstream of the translation start site.

  3. Kad 3

    Soalan

    What two changes happen to a pre-mRNA segment when the intron between two exons is spliced out?

    Jawapan

    The intron is removed, and the two flanking exons are joined.

  4. Kad 4

    Soalan

    In ordinary splicing within one pre-mRNA, what happens to the 5′ → 3′ order of the exons that are kept?

    Jawapan

    They stay in their original order. Splicing can change which exons are present.

  5. Kad 5

    Soalan

    Write the mature RNA fragment, 5′ → 3′, after removing intron I1.

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 CACU | I1 GUAAG | E2 UUGC
    

    Jawapan

    5′-CACUUUGC-3′
    

    Join CACU to UUGC.

  6. Kad 6

    Soalan

    What is an exon–exon junction in a spliced RNA?

    Jawapan

    The point where the end of one exon joins the start of the next exon in that RNA.

  7. Kad 7

    Soalan

    How can alternative splicing produce different RNA isoforms from the same gene?

    Jawapan

    Different splice patterns keep different parts of the precursor RNA, producing distinct mature RNA versions called isoforms.

  8. Kad 8

    Soalan

    A pre-mRNA fragment has a 6-base exon, a 9-base intron, and a 4-base exon in that order. How many bases remain after the intron is removed?

    Jawapan

    10 bases. The two exons contribute 6 + 4.

  9. Kad 9

    Soalan

    One mature RNA has exons E1 → E2 → E3. A second mature RNA from the same precursor has E1 → E3. What event accounts for the difference?

    Jawapan

    Exon skipping. The second RNA skips E2 and joins E1 directly to E3.

  10. Kad 10

    Soalan

    Remove both introns. What’s the resulting RNA fragment, 5′ → 3′?

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 ACUG | I1 GUCAG | E2 CAA
    I2 GUUAG | E3 GGUA
    

    Jawapan

    5′-ACUGCAAGGUA-3′
    

    Join E1, E2, and E3 in that order.

  11. Kad 11

    Soalan

    A mature RNA fragment consists of exons E1, E2, and E4 in that 5′ to 3′ order. Which exon–exon junctions does it contain?

    Jawapan

    E1 → E2 and E2 → E4. Each junction connects adjacent exons in the mature fragment.

  12. Kad 12

    Soalan

    A mature RNA fragment contains a mapped E2 → E3 junction. Which candidate isoform matches?

    Mature exon orders, 5′ → 3′
    A: E1 → E2 → E3
    B: E1 → E3
    

    Jawapan

    Isoform A. It places E2 immediately before E3.

  13. Kad 13

    Soalan

    An mRNA isoform skips a 7-base exon. Compared with the isoform that includes it, how does the RNA length change if everything else is identical?

    Jawapan

    It decreases by 7 bases. The difference is the length of the skipped exon.

  14. Kad 14

    Soalan

    What does intron retention mean when comparing mature RNA isoforms?

    Jawapan

    A sequence removed as an intron in one splice form remains in another mature form.

  15. Kad 15

    Soalan

    A mature RNA isoform keeps I1 and removes I2. Write this fragment 5′ → 3′.

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 GGAC | I1 GUACAG | E2 AUUC
    I2 GUGAG | E3 CUGA
    

    Jawapan

    5′-GGACGUACAGAUUCCUGA-3′
    

    Keep E1–I1–E2 together and join E2 to E3.

  16. Kad 16

    Soalan

    E1 and E2 are joined in this mature RNA fragment. Write the two bases on each side of the junction, with | at the join.

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 AGUAC
    E2 GCUUA
    

    Jawapan

    5′-AC|GC-3′
    

    Take the last two bases of E1 and the first two of E2.

  17. Kad 17

    Soalan

    The entire modeled mature fragment is 5′-GAGCUUACC-3′. Which of the two splice forms below makes it?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 GAGC
    E2 CUAG
    E3 UUACC
    
    A: E1 → E2 → E3
    B: E1 → E3
    

    Jawapan

    Isoform B. Joining E1 directly to E3 gives GAGCUUACC.

  18. Kad 18

    Soalan

    In a pre-mRNA, an intron spans bases 37 through 47, including both endpoints. Mature isoform A removes it, and B retains it. If the rest of the sequence is identical, which isoform is longer and by how many bases?

    Jawapan

    Isoform B is 11 bases longer. Counting both endpoints gives 47 − 37 + 1 = 11 retained bases.

  19. Kad 19

    Soalan

    A fragment contains an intron sequence between its two flanking exons. Does that evidence alone establish that it came from a mature RNA isoform with intron retention?

    Jawapan

    No. The same stretch can occur in a precursor whose intron hasn’t been removed yet. You need evidence that the RNA is mature.

  20. Kad 20

    Soalan

    A mature RNA fragment skips E2 and removes both neighboring introns. Write the fragment 5′ → 3′.

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 UCCA | I1 GUAUG | E2 AGCUA
    I2 GUGCAG | E3 UAGG
    

    Jawapan

    5′-UCCAUAGG-3′
    

    Only E1 and E3 contribute bases.

  21. Kad 21

    Soalan

    In the spliced fragment below, which two base positions meet at the E1 → E2 junction? Count from 1 at the 5′ end.

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 CAGUACU
    E2 AGCC
    

    Jawapan

    Positions 7 and 8. E1 ends at base 7, and E2 starts at base 8.

  22. Kad 22

    Soalan

    A fragment from one of these mature RNAs spans the mapped E1 → E2 junction. Can you tell which candidate it came from?

    Mature exon orders, 5′ → 3′
    A: E1 → E2 → E3 → E4
    B: E1 → E2 → E4
    

    Jawapan

    No. Both contain E1 → E2. A junction such as E2 → E4 would distinguish B from A.

  23. Kad 23

    Soalan

    The full mature fragment is 12 bases long. Which candidate order fits these exon lengths?

    E1: 4 bases     E2: 5 bases
    E3: 3 bases     E4: 5 bases
    
    A: E1 → E2 → E4
    B: E1 → E3 → E4
    

    Jawapan

    Isoform B. Its exons total 4 + 3 + 5 = 12 bases. Isoform A has 14.

  24. Kad 24

    Soalan

    Read this mature RNA in triplets from the indicated AUG at its 5′ end. Which codon crosses the E1 → E2 junction?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 AUGG
    E2 CCUUA
    

    Jawapan

    GCC. The second codon uses the last G of E1 and the first two Cs of E2.

  25. Kad 25

    Soalan

    After splicing out the intron, a student writes 5′-CUUGAAGC-3′. What’s the correct mature fragment?

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 AAGC | I1 GUUGAG | E2 CUUG
    

    Jawapan

    5′-AAGCCUUG-3′
    

    The proposed answer puts E2 before E1.

  26. Kad 26

    Soalan

    E2 is skipped. Write the three bases just upstream and the one base just downstream of the new E1 → E3 junction, in 5′ → 3′ order. Mark the join with |.

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 CUAGCU
    E2 UGGG
    E3 AUCGA
    

    Jawapan

    5′-GCU|A-3′
    

    The left side comes from the end of E1, and the right side starts E3.

  27. Kad 27

    Soalan

    A mature fragment has a mapped E1 → E4 junction. Which of these two candidate exon orders is compatible?

    Mature exon orders, 5′ → 3′
    A: E1 → E2 → E4
    B: E1 → E3 → E4
    

    Jawapan

    Neither. Each candidate keeps an exon between E1 and E4.

  28. Kad 28

    Soalan

    A student counts 10 RNA bases in 5′-GAUC|CUGAA-3′ by including the | that marks the join. What’s the base count?

    Jawapan

    9 bases. There are 4 bases before the junction and 5 after it.

  29. Kad 29

    Soalan

    Two RNA isoforms have different exon junctions in their 5′ untranslated regions and identical translated sequences. Does the junction difference by itself imply different amino acid sequences?

    Jawapan

    No. Those junctions fall outside the translated sequence, so the two RNAs can encode the same amino acid sequence.

  30. Kad 30

    Soalan

    This mature isoform retains I1 and removes I2. A student writes 5′-ACCGUGAGGCU-3′. What’s the correct fragment?

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 ACCG | I1 GUCUAG | E2 UGA
    I2 GUAUAG | E3 GGCU
    

    Jawapan

    5′-ACCGGUCUAGUGAGGCU-3′
    

    Restore the retained I1 sequence between E1 and E2.

  31. Kad 31

    Soalan

    The bases in 5′-GAC|ACUUGU-3′ are correct, but the E1 → E2 marker is misplaced. Where should | go?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 GACA
    E2 CUUGU
    

    Jawapan

    5′-GACA|CUUGU-3′
    

    The boundary follows all four bases of E1.

  32. Kad 32

    Soalan

    A short mature RNA fragment reads 5′-CGAC-3′. Does it distinguish these candidate isoforms?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 UCGACG
    E2 AGUU
    E3 CUCA
    
    A: E1 → E2 → E3
    B: E1 → E3
    

    Jawapan

    No. Both candidates contain CGAC inside their shared E1 sequence.

  33. Kad 33

    Soalan

    A complete mature fragment is 13 bases long. Can length alone choose between these candidate exon orders?

    E1: 5 bases     E2: 4 bases
    E3: 4 bases     E4: 4 bases
    
    A: E1 → E2 → E4
    B: E1 → E3 → E4
    

    Jawapan

    No. Both total 13 bases. The sequence or a mapped junction could distinguish them.

  34. Kad 34

    Soalan

    Translation starts at the AUG in E1. If the mature isoform skips E2, what codon immediately follows AUG?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 AUGU
    E2 GCA
    E3 UCAG
    

    Jawapan

    UUC. The codon uses the last U of E1 and the first two bases of E3.

  35. Kad 35

    Soalan

    E1 lies entirely in the 5′ untranslated region. Both exons are kept and I1 is removed. Write the whole mature RNA fragment, 5′ → 3′.

    Pre-mRNA 5′ → 3′
    E1 UACGA | I1 GUAGAG | E2 AUGCCU
    

    Jawapan

    5′-UACGAAUGCCU-3′
    

    Include the untranslated exon in the mature RNA.

  36. Kad 36

    Soalan

    In this mature isoform I1 is retained and I2 is excised. Which exon–exon junction is formed within the shown fragment?

    Pre-mRNA block order, 5′ → 3′
    E1 → I1 → E2 → I2 → E3
    

    Jawapan

    E2 → E3. Retained I1 still lies between E1 and E2.

  37. Kad 37

    Soalan

    A short mature RNA fragment reads 5′-AUGC-3′. Which candidate isoform or isoforms could contain it?

    Exon sequences, 5′ → 3′
    E1 CUCAU
    E2 UAUGCA
    E3 GCAU
    
    A: E1 → E2 → E3
    B: E1 → E3
    

    Jawapan

    Both. AUGC lies within E2 in A and crosses E1 → E3 in B.

  38. Kad 38

    Soalan

    How many bases longer is mature fragment A than B?

    Pre-mRNA order, 5′ → 3′
    E1 (4) → I1 (6) → E2 (5) → I2 (7) → E3 (3)
    A keeps E1, I1, E2, and E3.
    B keeps E1 and E3 only.
    

    Jawapan

    11 bases longer. A includes the 6 bases of I1 and the 5 bases of E2 that B lacks.

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RNA Splicing Flashcards: Exon Junctions & Isoforms

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