Question

Which of the following spliceosomal components specifically recognizes and binds to the branch point of the intron during pre-mRNA splicing?

1) U1
2) U2
3) U5
4) U6
5) Spliceosomal proteins

Answer 1

U2 is the spliceosomal component that specifically recognizes and binds to the branch point of the intron during pre-mRNA splicing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The spliceosomal component that specifically recognizes and binds to the branch point of the intron during pre-mRNA splicing is U2.

Spliceosomes are protein complexes composed of proteins and RNA molecules called snRNAs. They recognize sequences at the 5' and 3' ends of the intron and catalyze the removal of introns from the primary RNA transcript.

U2 is one of the snRNAs in spliceosomes, and it specifically recognizes and binds to the branch point sequence in the intron, facilitating the splicing process.