While the basic mechanism
of RNA synthesis is similar in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, eukaryotic
mRNA production is more involved. Eukaryotic transcription takes
place in the nucleus, while translation takes place in the cytoplasm,
resulting in a need for transport across the nuclear membrane. In
addition, eukaryotic messenger RNA must be processed to remove any intervening
gene sequences (introns). Eukaryotic messengers all wear caps and
most have a poly-A tail