The purpose of transcription is to create an mRNA copy of a gene, allowing the genetic material to leave the nucleus and go to the site where it can be assembled into a protein.
- By severing the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs, an area of the DNA double helix is uncoiled by the enzyme DNA helicase.
- As exposed base pairs on the template DNA strands, complementary nucleotides from the nucleoplasm align up to them.
- Along the strand, the RNA polymerase enzyme forms phosphodiester linkages between neighbouring nucleotides.
- This procedure continues until the pre-mRNA is entirely produced and RNA polymerase reaches a stop codon.
- The mRNA strand then exits the nucleus after non-coding introns have been spliced out by the spliceosome's enzymes.