Question

Alternative forms of a protein can be beneficial or harmful to a cell. What do you think would happen if too much of an alternative protein bound to the 3' UTR of an RNA and caused it to degrade?

a) Increased gene expression due to enhanced RNA stability.
b) Decreased gene expression because RNA degradation prevents translation.
c) The alternative protein has no impact on RNA stability.
d) The 3' UTR of RNA cannot interact with alternative proteins.

Answer 1

Excessive binding of an alternative protein to the 3' UTR of an RNA can lead to decreased gene expression due to RNA degradation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When too much of an alternative protein binds to the 3' UTR of an RNA and causes it to degrade, the result would be decreased gene expression because RNA degradation prevents translation. The 3' UTR of an RNA plays a crucial role in regulating mRNA stability, and excessive binding of alternative proteins can lead to the breakdown of the RNA molecule, preventing it from being translated into protein. This can ultimately result in a decrease in gene expression.