CHAPTER 7

FROM DNA TO PROTEIN:

HOW CELLS READ THE GENOME
2004 Garland Science P!li"#in$
Fr%& DNA '% RNA
7-1 RNA in cells differs from DNA in that
(a) it contains the base uracil, which pairs with cytosine.
(b) it is single-stranded and cannot form base pairs.
(c) it is single-stranded and can fold up into a variety of structures.
(d) the nucleotides are lined together in a different way.
(e) the sugar ribose contains fewer o!ygen atoms than does deo!yribose.
7-2 "ranscription is similar to DNA replication in that
(a) it re#uires a molecule of DNA helicase to unwind the DNA.
(b) it uses the same en$yme as that used to synthesi$e RNA primers during DNA
replication.
(c) the newly synthesi$ed RNA remains paired to the template DNA.
(d) nucleotide polymeri$ation occurs only in the %-to-& direction.
(e) an RNA transcript is synthesi$ed discontinuously and the pieces then 'oined
together.
7-3 (or each of the following sentences, fill in the blans with the best word or phrase
selected from the list below. Not all words or phrases will be used) each word or phrase
should be used only once.
*n order for a cell+s genetic material to be utili$ed, the information is first
copied from the DNA into the nucleotide se#uence of RNA in a process
called ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,. -arious inds of RNAs are produced, each
with different functions. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, molecules code for
proteins, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, molecules act as adaptors for protein
synthesis, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, molecules are integral components of the
ribosome, while ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, molecules are important for
splicing of RNA transcripts.
incorporation rRNA transmembrane
mRNA snRNA tRNA
pRNA transcription
proteins translation
(0)
7-4 .atch the following structures with their names/
(igure 01-2
7-5 *magine that an RNA polymerase is transcribing a segment of DNA that contains the
se#uence/
5- AGTCTAGGCACTGA -3
3- TCAGATCCGTGACT -5
A. *f the polymerase is transcribing from this segment of DNA from left to right,
which strand (top or bottom) is the template3
4. 5hat will be the se#uence of that RNA (be sure to label the % and & ends of your
RNA molecule)3
7-6 "he sigma subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase
(a) contains the catalytic activity of the polymerase.
(b) remains part of the polymerase throughout transcription.
(c) recogni$es promoter sites in the DNA.
(d) recogni$es transcription termination sites in the DNA.
7-7 5hich of the following might decrease the transcription of only one specific gene in a
bacterial cell3
(a) A decrease in the amount of sigma factor
(b) A decrease in the amount of RNA polymerase
(c) A mutation that introduced a stop codon into the DNA preceding the coding
se#uence of the gene
(d) A mutation that introduced e!tensive se#uence changes into the DNA preceding
the transcription start site of the gene
(e) A mutation that moved the transcription termination signal of the gene farther
away from the transcription start site
(04
7-8 (rom the list below, pic "6R77 reasons why the primase that is used to mae the RNA
primer for DNA replication would not be suitable for gene transcription3
(a) 8rimase initiates RNA synthesis on a single-stranded DNA template.
(b) 8rimase can initiate RNA synthesis without the need for a base-paired primer.
(c) 8rimase synthesi$es only RNAs of around % to 9: nucleotides in length.
(d) "he RNA synthesi$ed by primase remains base-paired to the DNA template.
(e) 8rimase uses nucleotide triphosphates.
7-9 *ndicate where the following processes tae place by adding numbered labeling lines to
the schematic diagram of a eucaryotic cell in (igure 01-;.
(igure 01-;
<. "ranscription
9. "ranslation
&. RNA splicing
2. 8olyadenylation
%. RNA capping
7-10 "otal nucleic acids are e!tracted from a culture of yeast cells and are then mi!ed with
resin beads to which the polynucleotide %-"""""""""""""""""""""""""-& has
been covalently attached. After a short incubation, the beads are then e!tracted from the
mi!ture. 5hen you analy$e the cellular nucleic acids that have stuc to the beads, which
of the following will be most abundant3
(a) DNA
(b) tRNA
(c) rRNA
(d) mRNA
(e) 8rimary transcript RNA
7-11 Name three modifications that can be made to an RNA molecule in eucaryotic cells
before the RNA molecule becomes a mature mRNA.
(0*
7-12 "he length of a particular gene in human DNA, measured from the start site for
transcription to the end of the protein-coding region, is <:,::: nucleotides, whereas the
length of the mRNA produced from this gene is 2::: nucleotides. 5hat is the most liely
reason for this discrepancy3
7-13 A fragment of human DNA containing the gene for a protein hormone with its regulatory
regions removed is introduced into bacteria) although it is transcribed at a high level into
RNA, no protein is made. 5hen this RNA is e!tracted from the bacteria, mi!ed with
human mRNA encoding the same hormone, and then e!amined in the electron
microscope, you see the following structure ((igure 01-<&). =abel each of the statements
below as either >consistent? or >inconsistent? with your results and e!plain your
reasoning.
(igure 01-<&
A. "he human DNA was inserted in the bacterial DNA ne!t to a bacterial promoter
and in its normal orientation.
4. "he human DNA was inserted in the bacterial DNA ne!t to a bacterial promoter
but in an orientation opposite to normal.
@. "he human DNA contained an intron.
D. "he human DNA ac#uired a deletion while in the bacterium.
7-14 5hy is the old dogma >one geneAone protein? not always true for eucaryotic genes3
7-15 *s this statement "RB7 or (A=C73 7!plain your answer.
>Cince introns do not contain protein coding information, they do not have to be
removed precisely (meaning, a nucleotide here and there should not matter) from
the primary transcript during RNA splicing.?
(0+
7-16 Dou have discovered a gene (see (igure 01-<E part A) that is alternatively spliced to produce
several forms of mRNA in various cell types, three of which are shown in part 4 of (igure
01-<E. (Note that splicing is indicated by lines connecting the e!ons that are included in the
mRNA). Dour e!periments have found that protein translation begins in e!on <. (or all forms
of the mRNA, the encoded protein se#uence is the same in the regions of the mRNA that
correspond to e!ons < and <:. 7!ons 9 and & are alternative e!ons used in different mRNA,
as are e!ons 1 and F. 5hich of the following statements about e!ons 9 and & is the most
accurate3 7!plain your answer.
(igure 01-<E
(a) 7!ons 9 and & must have the same number of nucleotides.
(b) 7!ons 9 and & must contain an integral number of codons (that is, the number of
nucleotides divided by & must be an integer).
(c) 7!ons 9 and & must contain a number of nucleotides that when divided by &,
leaves the same remainder (that is, :, <, or 9).
Fr%& RNA '% Pr%'ein
7-17 5hich of the following statements about the genetic code are correct3
(a) All codons specify more than one amino acid.
(b) "he genetic code is redundant.
(c) All amino acids are specified by more than one codon.
(d) "he genetic code is different in procaryotes and eucaryotes.
(e) All codons specify an amino acid.
(07
NOTE: The following codon table is to be used for Problems Q7-18 7-!" Q7-#" and 7-!!$
7-18 "he following DNA se#uence includes the beginning of a se#uence coding for a protein.
5hat would be the result of a mutation that changed the @ mared by an asteris to an A3
5- AGGCTATGAATGGACACTGCGAGCCC....
G
7-19 5hich amino acid would you e!pect a tRNA with the anticodon %-@BB-& to carry3
%&efer to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
(a) =ysine
(b) Hlutamate
(c) Hlutamine
(d) =eucine
(e) 8henylalanine
7-20 5hich of the following pairs of codons might you e!pect to be read by the same tRNA as
a result of wobble3 %&efer to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
(a) @BB and BBB
(b) HAB and HAA
(c) @A@ and @AB
(d) AAB and AHB
(e) @@B and H@B
7-21 4elow is a segment of RNA from the middle of an mRNA. *f you were told that this
segment of RNA was part of the coding region of an mRNA for a large protein, give the
amino acid se#uence for the protein that is encoded by this segment of mRNA. %&efer to
'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
%- BAHB@BAHH@A@BHA -&
(0,
7-22 %&efer to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$* Ine strand of a section of DNA isolated
from the bacterium E. coli reads/
%- H"AH@@"A@@@A"AHH -&
A. Cuppose that an mRNA is transcribed from this DNA using the complementary
strand as a template. 5hat will be the se#uence of the mRNA in this region
(mae sure you label the % and & ends of the mRNA)3
4. 6ow many different peptides could potentially be made from this se#uence of
RNA, assuming translation initiates upstream of this se#uence3
@. 5hat are these peptides3 (Hive your answer using the one letter amino acid code.)
7-23 A strain of yeast translates mRNA into protein with a high level of inaccuracy. *ndividual
molecules of a particular protein isolated from this yeast have the following variations in
the first << amino acids compared with the se#uence of the same protein isolated from
normal yeast cells ((igure 01-9&). 5hat is the most liely cause of this variation in
protein se#uence3 7!plain your answer. %&efer to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
(igure 01-9&
(a) A mutation in the DNA coding for the protein
(b) A mutation in the anticodon of the isoleucine tRNA (tRNA
*le
)
(c) A mutation in the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase that decreases its ability to
distinguish between different amino acids
(d) A mutation in the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase that decreases its ability to
distinguish between different tRNA molecules
(e) A mutation in a component of the ribosome that allows binding of incorrect tRNA
molecules to the A-site
7-24 5hich of the following statements is "RB73
(a) Ribosomes are large RNA structures composed solely of rRNA.
(b) Ribosomes are synthesi$ed entirely in the cytoplasm.
(c) rRNA contains the catalytic activity that 'oins amino acids together.
(d) A ribosome consists of two e#ually si$ed subunits.
(e) A ribosome binds one tRNA at a time.
(0-
7-25 (igure 01-9%A shows the stage in translation when an incoming aminoacyl-tRNA has
bound to the A-site on the ribosome. Bsing the components shown in (igure 01-9%A as a
guide, show on (igure 01-9%4 and 01-9%@ what happens in the ne!t two stages to
complete the addition of the new amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain.
(igure 01-9%
7-26 A poison added to an in vitro translation mi!ture containing mRNA molecules with the
se#uence %-ABHAAAAAAAAAAAABAA-& has the following effect/ the only product
made is a .et-=ys dipeptide that remains attached to the ribosome. 5hat is the most
liely way in which the poison acts to inhibit protein synthesis3
(a) *t inhibits binding of the small subunit of the ribosome to mRNA.
(b) *t inhibits peptidyl transferase activity.
(c) *t inhibits movement of the small subunit relative to the large subunit.
(d) *t inhibits release factor.
(e) *t mimics release factor.
((0
7-27 *n eucaryotes, but not procaryotes, ribosomes find the start site of translation by
(a) binding directly to a ribosome-binding site preceding the initiation codon.
(b) scanning along the mRNA from the % end.
(c) recogni$ing an ABH codon as the start of translation.
(d) binding an initiator tRNA.
7-28 (igure 01-9F shows an mRNA molecule.
(igure 01-9F
A. .atch the labels given in the list below with the label lines in (igure 01-9F.
(a) ribosome-binding site
(b) initiator codon
(c) stop codon
(d) untranslated & region
(e) untranslated % region
(f) protein-coding region
4. *s the mRNA shown procaryotic or eucaryotic3 7!plain your answer.
7-29 A tRNA for the amino acid lysine is mutated such that the se#uence of the anticodon is
%-BAB-& (instead of %-BBB-&). 5hich of the following aberrations in protein
synthesis might this tRNA cause3 %&efer to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
(a) Read through of stop codons
(b) Cubstitution of lysine for isoleucine
(c) Cubstitution of lysine for tyrosine
(d) Cubstitution of lysine for phenylalanine
(e) Cubstitution of lysine for the amino-terminal methionine
(((
7-30 Dou have discovered a protein that inhibits translation. 5hen you add this inhibitor to a
mi!ture capable of translating human mRNA and centrifuge the mi!ture to separate
polyribosomes and single ribosomes, you obtain the results shown in (igure 01-&:.
5hich of the following interpretations are consistent with these observations3
(igure 01-&:
(a) "he protein binds to the small ribosomal subunit and increases the rate of
initiation of translation.
(b) "he protein binds to se#uences in the % region of the mRNA and inhibits the rate
of initiation of translation.
(c) "he protein binds to the large ribosomal subunit and slows down elongation of the
polypeptide chain.
(d) "he protein binds to se#uences in the & region of the mRNA and prevents
termination of translation.
7-31 "he concentration of a particular protein J in a normal human cell rises gradually from a
low point, immediately after cell division, to a high point, 'ust before cell division, and
then drops sharply. "he level of its mRNA in the cell remains fairly constant throughout
this time. 8rotein J is re#uired for cell growth and survival, but the drop in its level 'ust
before cell division is essential for division to proceed. Dou have isolated a line of human
cells that grow in si$e in culture but cannot divide, and on analy$ing these mutants, you
find that levels of J mRNA in the mutant cells are normal. 5hich of the following
mutations in the gene for J could e!plain these results3
(a) "he introduction of a stop codon that truncates protein J at the fourth amino acid.
(b) A change of the first A"H codon to @@A.
(c) "he deletion of a se#uence that encodes sites at which ubi#uitin can be attached to
the protein.
(d) A change at a splice site that prevents splicing of the RNA.
((2
7-32 (or each of the following sentences, fill in the blans with the best word or phrase
selected from the list below. Not all words or phrases will be used) each word or phrase
should be used only once.
Ince an mRNA is produced, its message can be decoded on ribosomes.
"he ribosome is composed of two subunits/ the ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
subunit, which cataly$es the formation of the peptide bonds that lin the
amino acids together into a polypeptide chain, and the
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, subunit, which matches the tRNAs to the codons of
the mRNA. During the chain elongation process of translating an mRNA
into protein, the growing polypeptide chain attached to a tRNA is bound to
the ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, -site of the ribosome. An incoming aminoacyl-
tRNA carrying the ne!t amino acid in the chain will bind to the
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, -site by forming base pairs with the e!posed codon
in the mRNA. "he ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, en$yme cataly$es the formation
of a new peptide bond between the growing polypeptide chain and the
newly arriving amino acid. "he end of a protein-coding message is
signaled by the presence of a stop codon, which binds the
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, called release factor. 7ventually, most proteins will
be degraded by a large comple! of proteolytic en$ymes called the
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.
A medium proteosome
central 8 RNA
DNA peptidyl transferase small
7 polymerase "
large protein ubi#uitin
(()
7-33 After treating cells with a mutagen, you isolate two mutants. Ine carries alanine and the
other carries methionine at a site in the protein that normally contains valine. After
treating these two mutants again with mutagen, you isolate mutants from each that now
carry threonine at the site of the original valine. Assuming that all mutations caused by
the mutagen involve single nucleotide changes, deduce the codons that are used for
valine, alanine, methionine, and threonine at the affected site. Cee (igure 01-&&. %&efer
to 'odon table (ro)ided abo)e Q7-18$*
(igure 01-&&
RNA and '#e Ori$in" %. Li.e
7-34 According to current thining, the minimum re#uirement for life to have originated on
7arth was the formation of a
(a) molecule that could provide a template for the production of a complementary
molecule.
(b) double-stranded DNA heli!.
(c) molecule that could direct protein synthesis.
(d) molecule that could cataly$e its own replication.
7-35 5hich of the following reactions are nown to be carried out by a ribo$yme3
(a) DNA synthesis
(b) "ranscription
(c) RNA splicing
(d) 8rotein hydrolysis
(e) 8olysaccharide hydrolysis
7-36 Dou are studying a disease that is caused by a virus, but when you purify the virus
particles and analy$e them you find they contain no trace of DNA. 5hich of the
following molecules are liely to contain the genetic information of the virus3
(a) 8rotein
(b) RNA
(c) =ipids
(d) @arbohydrates
7-37 Hive a reason why DNA maes a better material than RNA for storage of genetic
information and e!plain your answer.
((4
H%/ We 0n%/: Crac1in$ '#e Gene'ic C%de
7-38 An e!traterrestrial organism (7") is discovered whose basic cell biology seems pretty
much the same as terrestrial organisms e!cept that it uses a different genetic code to
translate RNA into protein. Dou set out to brea the code by translation e!periments using
RNAs of nown se#uence and cell-free e!tracts of 7" cells to supply the necessary
protein-synthesi$ing machinery. *n e!periments using the RNAs below, the following
results were obtained when the 9: possible amino acids were added either singly or in
different combinations of two or three/
RNA 1: 5GCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGCGC3
RNA 2: 5GCCGCCGCCGCCGCCGCCGCCGCCGCCGCC3
Bsing RNA <, a polypeptide was produced only if alanine and valine were added to the
reaction mi!ture. Bsing RNA 9, a polypeptide was produced only if leucine and serine
and cysteine were added to the reaction mi!ture. Assuming that protein synthesis can
start anywhere on the template, that the 7" genetic code is nonoverlapping and linear,
and that each codon is the same length (lie the terrestrial triplet code), how many
nucleotides does an 7" codon contain3
(a) 9
(b) &
(c) 2
(d) %
(e) E
7-39 NACA has discovered an alien life form. Dou are called in to help them deduce the
genetic code for this alien. Curprisingly, this alien life form shares many similarities with
life on 7arth/ this alien uses DNA as its genetic material, maes RNA from DNA, and
reads the information from RNA to mae protein using ribosomes and tRNAs. 7ven
more ama$ing, this alien uses the same 9: amino acids, lie the organisms found on
7arth, and also codes for each amino acid by a triplet codon. 6owever, the scientists at
NACA have found that the genetic code used by the alien life form is different than that
used by life on 7arth. "he e!periment that allowed the NACA scientists to draw this
conclusion involved creating a cell-free protein synthesis system from alien cells and
adding an mRNA made entirely of uracil (poly B). "his led to the finding that poly B
directs the synthesis of a peptide containing only glycine. NACA scientists have
synthesi$ed a poly AB mRNA and find that it codes for a polypeptide of alternating
serine and proline residues. (rom these e!periments, can you determine which codons
code for serine and proline3 7!plain why or why not.
Bonus question: @an you propose a mechanism for how the alien+s physiology is altered
so that it uses a different genetic code from life on 7arth, despite all the similarities3
((*
An"/er"
7-1 @hoice (c) is the correct answer. @hoice (a) is untrue, since although RNA contains
uracil, uracil pairs with adenine, not cytosine. @hoice (b) is false because RNA can form
base pairs with a complementary RNA or DNA se#uence. @hoice(d) is false. @hoice (e) is
false because ribose contains one more o!ygen atom than deo!yribose.
7-2 @hoice (d) is the correct answer. RNA polymerase unwinds only a few base pairs of the
double heli! at a time and does not need a helicase to do so, which is why choice (a) is
incorrect. "he en$yme used to mae primers during DNA synthesis is indeed an RNA
polymerase, but it is a special en$yme, primase, and not the en$yme that is used for
transcription, which is why choice (b) is incorrect. @hoice (c) is false. @hoice (e) is
incorrect because an RNA transcript is made by a single polymerase molecule that
proceeds from the start site to the termination site without falling off.
7-3 *n order for a cell+s genetic material to be utili$ed, the information is first copied from the
DNA into the nucleotide se#uence of RNA in a process called transcription. -arious
inds of RNAs are produced, each with different functions. mRNA molecules code for
proteins, tRNA molecules act as adaptors for protein synthesis, rRNA molecules are
integral components of the ribosome, while snRNA molecules are important for splicing
of RNA transcripts.
7-4 AA2) 4A<) @A9) DA&
7-5 A. "he bottom strand
4. 5- AGUCUAGGCACUGA -3
7-6 (c)
7-7 @hoice (d) is the correct answer. Cuch changes would probably destroy the function of
the promoter, maing RNA polymerase unable to bind to it. Decreasing the amount of
sigma factor or RNA polymerase (choices (a) or (b)) would affect the transcription of
most of the genes in the cell, not 'ust one specific gene. *ntroducing a stop codon before
the coding se#uence (choice (c)) would have no effect on transcription of the gene, since
the transcription machinery does not recogni$e translational stops. .oving the
termination signal farther away (choice (e)) would merely mae the transcript longer.
7-8 @hoices (a), (c), and (d) are the correct reasons. @hoices (b) and (e) are true for both
primase and RNA polymerase.
((+
7-9 Cee (igure A1-;.
(igure A1-;
7-10 (d) mRNA is the only type of RNA that is polyadenylated, and this poly(A) tail would
be able to base-pair with the strands of poly(") on the beads and thus stic to
them. DNA would not be found in the sample, as the poly(A) tail is not encoded
in the DNA and long runs of " are rare in DNA.
7-11 <. A poly(A) tail must be added.
9. A % cap must be added.
&. *ntrons must be spliced out.
(>7!port from nucleus? is also an acceptable answer.)
7-12 "he gene contains one or more introns.
7-13 4, @, and D are consistent with the results) A is inconsistent.
4 must be true for the RNA produced in the bacterium to be complementary to, and thus
able to pair with, the mRNA from a human cell. *f the human DNA had become inserted
in its normal orientation ne!t to the promoter (A), the corresponding portions of RNA
would be identical (or at least very similar) in se#uence and thus the two RNAs would
not be complementary and would not pair. "he loop formed in the hybrid tells us that one
of the molecules contains se#uences that the other is missing. "his could come about
either because the bacterial RNA was transcribed from human se#uences that ac#uired a
deletion (4) or because the human gene contains an intron (@).
7-14 "he transcripts from some genes can be spliced in more than one way to give mRNAs
containing different se#uences, thus encoding different proteins. A single eucaryotic gene,
therefore, may encode more than one protein.
((7
7-15 (alse. Although it is true that the se#uences within the introns are mostly dispensable,
the introns must still be removed precisely because an error of one or two nucleotides
would shift the reading frame of the resulting mRNA molecule and change the protein it
encodes.
7-16 @hoice (c) is the only answer that must be true for e!ons 9 and &. Although choices (a)
and (b) could be true, they don+t have to be. 4ecause the protein se#uence is the same in
segments of the mRNA corresponding to e!ons < and <:, the choice of either e!on 9 or
e!on & would not alter the reading frame. "o maintain the normal reading frame,
whatever it is, the alternative e!ons must have a number of nucleotides that when divided
by & (the number of nucleotides in a codon) give the same remainder.
7-17 @hoice (b) is the correct answer. "he ma'ority of the amino acids can be specified by
more than one codon. @hoice (a) is incorrect because each codon specifies only one
amino acid. @hoice (c) is incorrect because tryptophan and methionine are encoded by
only one codon. @hoice (d) is incorrect because, with a few minor e!ceptions, the genetic
code is the same in all organisms. @hoice (e) is incorrect because some codons specify
translational stop signals.
7-18 "he change creates a stop codon ("HA, or BHA in the mRNA) very near the beginning
of the protein-coding se#uence and in the correct reading frame (the beginning of the
coding se#uence is indicated by the A"H). "hus, translation would terminate after only
four amino acids had been 'oined together, and the complete protein would not be made.
7-19 (a) =ys (lysine). As is conventional for nucleotide se#uences, the anticodon is given
% to &. "he complementary base-pairing occurs between antiparallel nucleic acid
se#uences, and the codon recogni$ed by this anticodon will therefore be %-AAH-&.
7-20 @hoice (c) is the answer. "hese two codons differ only in the third position and also
encode the same amino acid, which is the definition of wobble. Although the codons
HAB and HAA (choice (b)) also differs only in the third position, they are unliely in
normal circumstances to be read by the same tRNA, as they encode different amino acids.
7-21 C=H" is the answer. (Reading frame two is the only reading frame that does not contain
a stop codon.)
7-22 A. 5-GUAGCCUACCCAUAGG -3
4. "wo. ("here are three potential reading frames for each RNA. *n this case, they
are/
GUA GCC UAC CCA UAG ...
UAG CCU ACC CAU AGG.....
AGC CUA CCC AUA GG?....
"he center one cannot be used in this case, because BAH is a stop codon.)
@. -AD8
C=8*H
Note/ 8"6R will not be a peptide because it is preceded by a stop codon.
((,
7-23 @hoice (c) is the correct answer. A mutation in the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase that
decreases its ability to distinguish between amino acids would allow an assortment of
amino acids to be attached to the tRNA
*le
. "hese assorted aminoacyl-tRNAs would then
base-pair with the isoleucine codon and cause a variety of substitutions at positions
normally occupied by isoleucine. @hoice (a) is incorrect because a mutation in the gene
encoding the protein would cause only a single variant protein to be made. @hoice (e) is
incorrect because a mutation in the ribosome that allows binding of any amino-acyl-
tRNA to the A site would cause substitutions all over the protein, not only at isoleucine
residues. @hoices (b) and (d) are also incorrect. A mutation in the anticodon loop of
tRNA
*le
(choice (b)) or a mutation in the isoleucine-tRNA synthetase that decreases its
ability to distinguish between different tRNA molecules (choice (d)) would cause
substitution of isoleucine for some other amino acid (which is the opposite of what is
observed).
7-24 @hoice (c) is the correct answer. @hoice (a) is incorrect because ribosomes contain
proteins as well as rRNA. @hoice (b) is incorrect because rRNA is synthesi$ed in the
nucleus, and ribosomes are partly assembled in the nucleus. @hoice (d) is incorrect
because a ribosome consists of one small subunit and one large subunit. @hoice (e) is
incorrect because a ribosome must be able to bind two tRNAs at any one time.
7-25 Cee (igure A1-9%.
(igure A1-9%
((-
7-26 @hoice (c) is the correct answer. 7ither choice (a) or (b) would prevent all peptide bond
formation. @hoice (d) would have no affect on translation until the stop codon was
reached. @hoice (e) would be liely to result in a mi!ture of polypeptides of various
lengths) a poison mimicing a release factor could conceivably cause only .et-=ys to be
made, but this dipeptide would not remain bound to the ribosome.
7-27 @hoice (b) is the correct answer. @hoice (a) is true only for procaryotes. @hoices (c) and
(d) are true for both procaryotes and eucaryotes.
7-28 A. (a)A&) (b)A9) (c)A2) (d)AE)(e)A<) (f)A%
4. "he mRNA is procaryotic. *t contains coding regions for more than one protein,
as shown by the multiple initiation codons, each preceded by a ribosome-binding
site. *t contains an unmodified % end, as shown by the three phosphate groups,
and an unmodified & end, as shown by the absence of a poly(A) tail.
7-29 (b) "he mutant tRNA
=ys
will be able to pair with the codon %-ABA-&, which codes
for isoleucine.
7-30 @hoice (b) is the correct answer. "he results in (igure 01K&: show a mared decrease in
the number of polyribosomes formed relative to normal. 8olyribosomes form because the
initiation of translation is fairly rapid/ ribosomes can bind successively to the free % end
of an mRNA molecule and start translation before the first ribosome has had a chance to
finish translating the message. "herefore, inhibition of the rate of initiation will tend to
decrease the number of ribosomes in the polyribosome, and in the e!treme case there will
be only one ribosome per mRNA. @onversely, increasing the rate of initiation or slowing
the rate of elongation would result in an increased number of ribosomes per
polyribosome (up to a ma!imum point), maing choices (a) and (c) false. @hoice (d) is
incorrect, as preventing termination would prevent release of the ribosomes at the end of
the coding se#uence and would be e!pected to >free$e? the assembled polyribosomes, so
that the ratio of polyribosomes to ribosomes would be much as normal.
7-31 @hoice (c) is the correct answer. "he drop in level of protein J in the normal cell is most
liely due to protein degradation, since levels of mRNA remain constant. "he inability of
the mutant cell to divide could be due to a mutation that inhibits protein degradation. "his
would be achieved by removal of sites for attachment of ubi#uitin, which targets proteins
for destruction. @hoices (a), (b), and (d) would probably not produce the result described,
as without the production of a functional protein J the mutant cells could not grow in
si$e.
(20
7-32 Ince an mRNA is produced, its message can be decoded on ribosomes. "he ribosome is
composed of two subunits/ the lare subunit, which cataly$es the formation of the
peptide bonds that lin the amino acids together into a polypeptide chain, and the small
subunit, which matches the tRNAs to the codons of the mRNA. During the chain
elongation process of translating an mRNA into protein, the growing polypeptide chain
attached to a tRNA is bound to the !-site of the ribosome. An incoming aminoacyl-tRNA
carrying the ne!t amino acid in the chain will bind to the A-site by forming base pairs
with the e!posed codon in the mRNA. "he pepti"#l trans$erase en$yme cataly$es the
formation of a new peptide bond between the growing polypeptide chain and the newly
arriving amino acid. "he end of a protein-coding message is signaled by the presence of
a stop codon, which binds the protein called release factor. 7ventually, most proteins
will be degraded by a large comple! of proteolytic en$ymes called the proteosome.
7-33 Hiven that only single nucleotide changes are involved, the only codons consistent with
the changes are/ HBH for valine, H@H for alanine, ABH for methionine, and A@H for
threonine.
7-34 @hoice (d) is the correct answer. @hoice (a) is incorrect in that although this may have
been a step in self-replication, it would not by itself be sufficient. @hoices (b) and (c) are
incorrect, as these stages in the evolution of the cell must have succeeded the formation
of the first self-replicating molecules.
7-35 (c)
7-36 (b)
7-37 "hree possible answers are/
<. "he deo!yribose sugar of DNA maes the molecule much less susceptible to
breaage compared to RNA, due to the lac of the hydro!yl group on carbon 9 of
the ribose sugar.
9. DNA is double stranded and therefore the complementary strand provides a
template from which damage can be repaired accurately.
&. "he use of >"? in DNA instead of >B? (as in RNA) protects against the effect of
deamination, a common form of damage. Deamination of " produces an aberrant
base (methyl @), whereas deamination of B generates @, a normal base. "he
presence of an abnormal base eases the cell+s 'ob of recogni$ing the damaged
strand.
(2(
7-38 @hoice (d) is the correct answer. An organism having codons with an even number of
nucleotides (i.e., 9, 2, or E) could read %-H@H@H@H@H@-& (RNA <) in either of two
ways, namely >H@ H@ H@ H@...? or >@H @H @H @H...? 7ither one of the two amino
acids alone could have supported protein synthesis, so you would not need them in
combination (thus eliminating choices (a), (c), and (e)). An organism having three bases
per codon could read the se#uence %-H@@H@@H@@H@@H@@-& (RNA 9) in one of
three ways, namely >H@@ H@@ H@@ H@@...,? >@@H @@H @@H @HH...,? or >@H@
@H@ @H@ @H@...,? and so again, any one of the three amino acids could have supported
synthesis of a polypeptide, and you would not need to add all three amino acids to
produce a polypeptide chain, thus eliminating choice (b). Inly a five-nucleotide code
gives you two different consecutive codons for RNA < and three different consecutive
codons for RNA 9.
7-39 No, you cannot definitively determine what the codons that code for serine or valine are
because it could be either BAB or ABA.
Bonus: "he alien aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases could adapt a different amino acid to each
tRNA, thus matching an amino acid with a different codon compared to those codons
used by life on 7arth.
(22