Practice question

RNA processing is far more extensive in eukaryotes compared to prokaryotes due to presence of split genes with introns, nucleus compartmentalization, chromatin organization, and need for export and quality control. Eukaryotic pre-mRNAs undergo five prime capping, splicing by megadalton spliceosomes removing multiple introns with alternative patterns generating proteome diversity, three prime polyadenylation, base modifications, and surveillance by nuclear exosome. Prokaryotic messenger RNAs are generally polycistronic operon transcripts lacking introns, with only limited modifications such as removal of leader sequences and limited base methylation, rapidly translated as they are synthesized.