What is the Difference Between snRNA and snRNP?

The main difference between snRNA and snRNP lies in their composition and function. Here are the key differences:

• snRNA: Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that play a crucial role in the splicing of pre-mRNA, making them critical components of the spliceosome. They have an average size of 150 nucleotides and are transcribed by either RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III.
• snRNP: Small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) are complexes of snRNA molecules and tightly bound proteins. These complexes are involved in mediating or regulating post-translational RNA-processing events, such as splicing. snRNPs are the building blocks of spliceosomes, which are protein-RNA complexes that catalyze the removal of introns and joining of exons in pre-mRNA processing.

In summary, snRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that function as part of the spliceosome, while snRNPs are complexes of snRNA and proteins that participate in pre-mRNA splicing and other RNA-processing events.

Comparative Table: snRNA vs snRNP

Here is a table comparing snRNA and snRNP:

I hope you find this table helpful in understanding the differences between snRNA and snRNP.