Novel insights into the structure and function of the human spliceosome

Eukaryotic pre-mRNAs contain non-coding regions (introns) which need to be removed before mRNA can be used for the synthesis of proteins. This splicing process is catalyzed in the cell's nucleus by the spliceosome, a large molecular machine that is composed of numerous proteins and small RNA components. Using cryo electron microscopy, high resolution 3D structures have been generated from the human spliceosome at distinct functional stages, providing novel insights into the working cycle and structural dynamics of the spliceosome and the mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing.