| 5′ untranslated region | |
|---|---|
 The general structure of the 5′ UTR of a transcript in eukaryotic organism (specifically humans) | |
| Identifiers | |
| MeSH | D020121 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The 5′ untranslated region (also known as 5′ UTR, leader sequence, transcript leader, or leader RNA) is the region of a messenger RNA (mRNA) that is directly upstream from the initiation codon. This region is important for the regulation of translation of a transcript by differing mechanisms in viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes. While called untranslated, the 5′ UTR or a portion of it is sometimes translated into a protein product. This product can then regulate the translation of the main coding sequence of the mRNA. In many organisms, however, the 5′ UTR is completely untranslated, instead forming a complex secondary structure to regulate translation.
The 5′ UTR has been found to interact with proteins relating to metabolism, and proteins translate sequences[clarification needed] within the 5′ UTR. In addition, this region has been involved in transcription regulation, such as the sex-lethal gene in Drosophila.[1] Regulatory elements within 5′ UTRs have also been linked to mRNA export.[2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Mwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cenik, Can; Chua, Hon Nian; Zhang, Hui; Tarnawsky, Stefan P.; Akef, Abdalla; Derti, Adnan; Tasan, Murat; Moore, Melissa J.; Palazzo, Alexander F.; Roth, Frederick P. (2011). Snyder, Michael (ed.). "Genome Analysis Reveals Interplay between 5′UTR Introns and Nuclear mRNA Export for Secretory and Mitochondrial Genes". PLOS Genetics. 7 (4): e1001366. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1001366. ISSN 1553-7404. PMC 3077370. PMID 21533221.