Before the mRNA which has been processed from DNA is taken and transported to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm for the translation process, some modifications are made to the mRNA before transport. This includes
1. Capping: addition of 5'-5' phosphate bonds to the 5' terminus of the mRNA. Forms the cap structure that is essentials for binding to ribosomes via special proteins attached to the cap structure
2. Addition of poly(A) tail: a poly(A) addition signal (AAUAAA) is attached to the 3' terminus of the mRNA. They are important in translation initiation and degradation prevention
3. Splicing: this is likely the most remarkable processing in eukaryotes. It involves the removal of intron regions by excision from the present-mRNA and then ligating the exon regions together giving rise to the mRNA.
