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Glite Dictionary
backsplicing

backsplicing

9.9
A cell process that joins RNA into a circle
  • noun
  • /ˈbækˌsplaɪsɪŋ/
  • Specialized
: retrosplicing
  • In the laboratory, researchers studied how backsplicing creates circular RNA from linear RNA sequences.

Examples

  • Scientists found that backsplicing can play a crucial role in gene expression regulation.

  • Understanding backsplicing is essential for developing therapies targeting circular RNA molecules.

  • When backsplicing occurs, the internal exons are removed, causing alternative splicing.

    Academic text (2017)

  • Model 2 is termed intron-pairing driven circularization, or direct backsplicing.

    Academic text (2017)

Surface Forms

backsplicing singular
backsplicings plural

Morphology

backsplicing = backsplice (transparent) = back + splice + ing

The verb 'backsplice' (back- + splice) forms the noun/process by adding -ing; the meaning 'splicing in reverse order' follows directly from the components.

Etymology

Backsplicing combines back (meaning 'reverse') and splice (meaning 'to join ends', as when you splice rope). In biology, backsplicing is when an RNA sequence is joined in 'reverse' order to make a circle, so imagining joining the end back to the start helps you remember the process.