Small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs)

Small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) are specialized molecular complexes found in the cell nucleus, essential for the process of gene expression. They combine proteins with small RNA molecules to form functional units that help in splicing—removing non-coding regions from precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA). This editing ensures that only the correct instructions are used to produce proteins. By facilitating accurate splicing, snRNPs play a critical role in gene regulation and maintaining cellular function, making them fundamental components of the gene expression machinery.