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In genetics, splicing is a modification of genetic information after transcription, in which introns are removed and exons are joined. Since in prokaryotic genomes introns do not exist, splicing naturally only occurs in eukaryotes. The splicing prepares the precursor messenger RNA (pre-mRNA) to produce the mature messenger RNA (mRNA), which then undergoes translation as part of the protein synthesis to produce proteins. Splicing includes a series of biochemical reactions, which are catalyzed by the spliceosome, a complex of small nuclear ribonucleo-proteins (snRNPs).