5' and 3' utrs

The 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions, or UTRs, are parts of a mature messenger RNA that flank the protein-coding sequence. They are transcribed into RNA but are not translated into the encoded protein.

How it works

The 5′ UTR lies before the start codon, and the 3′ UTR follows the stop codon. These regions can influence RNA stability, localization, and translation through sequence elements and interactions with proteins or other RNAs.

Example or application

A simplified mRNA diagram can be shown as 5′ UTR, coding sequence, then 3′ UTR. The labels describe positions along the RNA molecule, whose sequence is read in the 5′-to-3′ direction.

Scope and limits

UTR length and function vary among transcripts. The word “untranslated” does not mean biologically inactive; these regions can have important regulatory roles.

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