Figure 2.

Stages of mRNA maturation and cytoplasmic outcomes. Once a pre‐mRNA is transcribed in the nucleus from a given GOI (gene of interest), it is co‐ and post‐transcriptionally processed by splicing, 5′ cap modification, and 3′ polyadenylation to yield a mature mRNA. For select GOIs in Plasmodium falciparum, so‐called cryptic RNAs and antisense RNAs have been described in asexual blood stages, which may regulate transcription and/or translation. The mature mRNA is then bound by nuclear ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes and transported to the cytoplasm where it faces three outcomes: (1) Translation, mediated by the 80S ribosome to synthesize a polypeptide chain; (2) Decay, mediated by ribonucleases; and (3), Repression, which may occur in the context of mRNA‐RNP (mRNP) granules composed of different classes of proteins such as RNA helicases, RNA‐binding proteins, and translation‐associated factors.