Sense strand
Encyclopedia
In genetics
, a sense strand or coding strand is the segment of double stranded DNA running from 5' - 3' that is complementary to the antisense strand or template strand. The sense strand is the strand of DNA
that has the same sequence as the mRNA, which takes the antisense strand as its template during transcription
, and eventually undergoes (typically, not always) translation into a protein.
The immediate product of this transcription is a resultant initial RNA transcript, which contains sequencing of nucleotides that are identical to the sense strand. The exception to this is that Uracil is used for nucleotide sequencing of RNA molecules rather than Thymine.
Most Eukaryotic RNA transcripts undergo additional editing prior to being translation for protein synthesis. This process typically involves removal of introns from the initial RNA transcript, the addition of a Methylated Cap at the 5' end, and the addition of a Poly-A Tail at the 3' end. This deletion process is knowns as splicing
. The end product is known as a mature mRNA. Prokaryotic mRNA does not undergo the same process.
Strictly speaking, only the mRNA makes "sense" with the genetic code as the translated protein peptide sequence
can be directly inferred from this strand. The sense strand DNA however, has a lot of 'garbage' stuffed in between genetic codes. (This is true in most eukaryotic genes. Prokaryotes usually don't have 'garbage' in their sense strand DNA.) The "anti-sense" strand is complementary to the "sense" and is the actual template for mRNA synthesis.
Knowing the difference between the sense and anti-sense strands is important in certain molecular biology applications. For example, in microarray expression technologies, it is important to know which strand is "viewed" on the array. An array can correspond to either strand; however, a single array will be made entirely of "sense" or "anti-sense" strands.
Identifying the different strands is also important in understanding small interfering RNA
s, or siRNA.
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, a sense strand or coding strand is the segment of double stranded DNA running from 5' - 3' that is complementary to the antisense strand or template strand. The sense strand is the strand of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
that has the same sequence as the mRNA, which takes the antisense strand as its template during transcription
Transcription (genetics)
Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence of DNA. Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotides as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to RNA by the action of the correct enzymes...
, and eventually undergoes (typically, not always) translation into a protein.
The immediate product of this transcription is a resultant initial RNA transcript, which contains sequencing of nucleotides that are identical to the sense strand. The exception to this is that Uracil is used for nucleotide sequencing of RNA molecules rather than Thymine.
Most Eukaryotic RNA transcripts undergo additional editing prior to being translation for protein synthesis. This process typically involves removal of introns from the initial RNA transcript, the addition of a Methylated Cap at the 5' end, and the addition of a Poly-A Tail at the 3' end. This deletion process is knowns as splicing
RNA splicing
In molecular biology and genetics, splicing is a modification of an RNA after transcription, in which introns are removed and exons are joined. This is needed for the typical eukaryotic messenger RNA before it can be used to produce a correct protein through translation...
. The end product is known as a mature mRNA. Prokaryotic mRNA does not undergo the same process.
Strictly speaking, only the mRNA makes "sense" with the genetic code as the translated protein peptide sequence
Peptide sequence
Peptide sequence or amino acid sequence is the order in which amino acid residues, connected by peptide bonds, lie in the chain in peptides and proteins. The sequence is generally reported from the N-terminal end containing free amino group to the C-terminal end containing free carboxyl group...
can be directly inferred from this strand. The sense strand DNA however, has a lot of 'garbage' stuffed in between genetic codes. (This is true in most eukaryotic genes. Prokaryotes usually don't have 'garbage' in their sense strand DNA.) The "anti-sense" strand is complementary to the "sense" and is the actual template for mRNA synthesis.
Knowing the difference between the sense and anti-sense strands is important in certain molecular biology applications. For example, in microarray expression technologies, it is important to know which strand is "viewed" on the array. An array can correspond to either strand; however, a single array will be made entirely of "sense" or "anti-sense" strands.
Identifying the different strands is also important in understanding small interfering RNA
Small interfering RNA
Small interfering RNA , sometimes known as short interfering RNA or silencing RNA, is a class of double-stranded RNA molecules, 20-25 nucleotides in length, that play a variety of roles in biology. The most notable role of siRNA is its involvement in the RNA interference pathway, where it...
s, or siRNA.