Final answer:
Yes, eukaryotic mRNA undergoes extensive post-synthetic processing after transcription and before translation including capping, polyadenylation, and splicing to become stable, mature mRNA for protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) indeed undergoes significant post-synthetic processing after transcription and before translation. This processing includes several critical steps such as the addition of a 5' methylguanosine cap and a 3' poly-A tail, as well as the removal of noncoding sequences known as introns through a process called splicing.
The splicing of mRNA is carried out by a complex known as the spliceosome, which ensures that only the exons, or coding regions, are ligated together to create a contiguous coding sequence. The mature mRNA is then stabilized and exported from the nucleus to be translated into proteins in the cytoplasm.
These processing steps are essential for the creation of stable and functional mRNA molecules, which have a significantly longer half-life in eukaryotes as compared to prokaryotic mRNA.
In contrast to prokaryotes, eukaryotic mRNA maturation creates a molecule that is stable for several hours, in comparison to the short-lived mRNA of bacteria such as E.
coli, which may last only a few seconds. This stability is crucial for the regulation of gene expression as it determines the length of time the mRNA remains available for translation and, consequently, the amount of protein synthesized.