Question

In an experimental situation, a student removes the 5' cap and poly-A tail from an mRNA molecule before inserting it into a eukaryotic cell. Which of the following would you expect to occur as a result of these modifications? (2 points) The molecule is digested by exonucleases because it is not protected at the 5' end. The molecule is digested by restriction enzymes in the eukaryotic cell's nucleus. The mRNA cannot exit the nucleus to be transcribed without the 5' cap and poly-A tail. The mRNA molecule attaches to a ribosome and is translated at a much slower rate.

Answer 1

The right answer is: A
A) The molecule is digested by exonucleases because it is not protected at the 5' end. (correct)
B) The molecule is digested by restriction enzymes in the eukaryotic cell's nucleus. (false it is digested by exonucleases due to the absence of the 3'cap and the 5'tail)
C) The mRNA cannot exit the nucleus to be transcribed without the 5' cap and poly-A tail. (false, to be TRANSLATED and not to be transcribed)
D) The mRNA molecule attaches to a ribosome and is translated at a much slower rate. (false, it doesn't have a role to play in translation)