Untranslated region

In molecular genetics, an untranslated region (or UTR) refers to either of two sections, one on each side of a coding sequence on a strand of mRNA.

mRNA is RNA that carries information from DNA to the ribosome, the site of protein synthesis (translation) within a cell.

[2] These often long sequences were once thought to be useless or junk mRNA that has simply accumulated over evolutionary time.

However, it is now known that the untranslated region of mRNA is involved in many regulatory aspects of gene expression in eukaryotic organisms.

The importance of these non-coding regions is supported by evolutionary reasoning, as natural selection would have otherwise eliminated this unusable RNA.

The introns are not included in the mature mRNA molecule that will undergo translation and are thus considered non-protein-coding RNA.

Various medical studies are being conducted that have found connections between mutations in untranslated regions and increased risk for developing a particular disease, such as cancer.

[10] Through the recent study of untranslated regions, general information has been gathered about the nature and function of these elements.

Since the regulation of gene expression is critical in the proper function of cells, this is an area of study that needs to be investigated further.