Module 3 “Molecular genetics”

Class 2. RNA Structure. RNA Transcription. Translation

Classwork 3.2

1. MCQ

1. Before RNA polymerase can initiate transcription, this protein must bind to it, creating the RNA
polymerase holoenzyme and allowing for the initiation of transcription.
a. Sigma factor
b. Helicase
c. Beta factor
d. Activator protein
e. Topoisomerase
2. Which polymerase is involved in transcribing ribosomal RNA (except 5S rRNA)?
a. DNA polymerase V
b. DNA polymerase IV
c. RNA polymerase II
d. RNA polymerase III
e. RNA polymerase I
3. What is the role of the promoter region in the regulation of gene expression?
a. Allow for alternative splicing and recombination of genetic components
b. Alter gene expression by binding transcription factors
c. Recruit RNA polymerase and transcription factors to DNA
d. Bind negative regulators to inhibit gene expression
4. What event is indicative of transcription initiation?
a. RNA polymerase binds to the promoter
b. RNA polymerase is removed from the DNA
c. The RNA strand begins to be synthesized
d. Telomerase lengthens the telomeres of the DNA
5. Which of the following best describes distant regulatory sequences that influence gene expression?
a. Promoters
b. Exons
c. Transcriptional start sites
d. Introns
e. Enhancers
6. When does alternative splicing occur?
a. Following mRNA polyadenylation
b. Following mRNA translocation to the cytosol
c. Following pre-mRNA transcription in the nucleus
d. Following translation
e. Following mRNA loading into ribosome
7. During transcription of a eukaryotic cell, what determines the template strand?
a. The location of the AUG start codon
b. The location of the MET start codon
 c. The base sequence of the operator
d. The base sequence of the enhancer
e. The base sequence of the promoter
8. What are exons?
a. Set of genes that are adjacent to one another in the genome and are coordinately controlled
b. Site where repressor proteins bind
c. Genetic information coding for an amino acid sequence that will form a functional protein
d. Intervening non-coding segments of DNA
9. What are snRNPs (small nuclear ribonucleic particles)?
a. RNA protein complexes that combine with pre-mRNA and other proteins to form a
spliceosome
b. RNA molecules that serve as the link between the nucleotide sequence of nucleic acids and
the amino acid sequence of proteins
c. RNA molecules that convey genetic information from DNA to the ribosome
d. RNA component of the ribosome, essential for protein synthesis
10. What approximate percentage of total RNA content in a cell is messenger RNA (mRNA)?
a. 2−5%
b. 10−15%
c. 45−50%
d. 25−30%
e. 80−85%
11. Why is the post-transcriptional poly-A tail an important addition to a mRNA molecule?
a. The 3' tail signals the end of transcription by the RNA polymerase.
b. The tail adds stability to the transcript, controlling the time of degradation.
c. The poly-A tail is a part of the protein translated from the mRNA.
d. The poly-A tail facilitates the splicing of introns.
e. The poly-A tail facilitates the binding of ribosomes.
12. To which of the following structures in a typical molecule of tRNA is an amino acid attached?
a. Variable loop
b. Anticodon loop
c. D loop
d. CCA tail
13. During translation, which site in the ribosome allows for tRNA moelcules to enter the complex?
a. A site
b. E site
c. R site
d. P site
14. On which of the following molecules could you find an anticodon?
a. mRNA
b. tRNA
c. miRNA
d. rRNA
15. Which amino acid is the "start" amino acid in a peptide chain?
a. Arginine
b. Lysine
 c. Threonine
d. Tyrosine
e. Methionine
16. Which site of tRNA molecule hydrogen bonds to a mRNA molecule?
a. Codon
b. Anticodon
c. 5’ends of the tRNA molecule
d. 3’ends of tRNA molecule
e. Variable loop
17. The enzyme required for transcription is
a. DNA polymerase
b. DNA ligase
c. RNA polymerase
d. RNA primase
e. DNA Gyrase
18. The enzyme involved in amino acid activation is
a. ATP synthetase
b. Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase
c. RNA polymerase
d. Protease
e. Aminotransferase
19. Which of the following RNA molecules serves as an adaptor molecule during synthesis?
a. rRNA
b. mRNA
c. tRNA
d. snRNA
20. Tetracycline blocks protein synthesis by:
a. Inhibiting peptidyl transferase
b. Inhibiting initiation of translation
c. Inhibiting binding of aminoacyl tRNA to the A-site of ribosome
d. Inhibiting of E-site of ribosome
e. Inhibiting of P-site of ribosome

2. BASIC PROBLEMS

1. If the template strand of a segment of a gene has the nucleotide sequence 3’-GCTAAGC-5’, what
nucleotide sequence will be present in the RNA transcript specified by this gene segment?

2. What bases in the transcribed (antisense) strand and sense strand of DNA would give rise to the
following mRNA base sequence: 5’-CUGAU-3’?

3. Consider the following segment of DNA:

 Assume that the top strand is the template strand used by RNA polymerase.
- Draw the RNA transcribed.
- Label its 5` and 3` ends.
- Draw the corresponding amino acid chain.
- Label its amino and carboxyl ends

4. The human α-globin chain is 141 amino acids long. How many nucleotides in mRNA are required to
encode human α-globin?

5. The 5 terminus of a human mRNA has the following sequence: 5 cap-

GAAGAGACAAGGTCAUGGCCAUAUGCUUGUUCCAAUCGUUAGCUGCGCAGGAUCGCCCU
GGG......3 When this mRNA is translated, what amino acid sequence will be specified by this portion of
the mRNA?

6. A human gene was initially identified as having three exons and two introns. The exons are 456, 224,
and 524 bp, whereas the introns are 2.3 kb and 4.6 kb.
a. Draw this gene, showing the promoter, introns (and their size), exons (and their size), and
transcription start and stop sites.
b. Surprisingly, this gene is found to encode not one but two mRNAs that have only 224
nucleotides in common. The original mRNA is 1204 nucleotides, and the new mRNA is
2524 nucleotides. Use your drawing to show how this one region of DNA can encode these
two transcripts.

7. Eukaryotic gene consists of 6 exons and 5 introns. The exons are 63; 39; 120; 27; 45 and 15 bp (base
pairs). After alternative splicing, mRNA was formed which encodes a protein of 36 amino acids.
a. Determine the size of the mRNA molecule (in bp)
b. Determine which exons are part of this mRNA

8. Eukaryotic gene consists of 5 exons and 4 introns. The exons are 93; 36;150; 66 and 48 bp, whereas the
introns (a,b,c,d) are 120; 129; 96 and 303 bp.
a. Draw this gene, showing the promoter, introns (and their size), exons (and their size), and
transcription start and stop sites.
b. Assume a mutation occurred in one of the introns. After translation of the mRNA, a protein
of 165 amino acids was formed. Determine the intron with mutation and. What is the size of
mRNA (bp)? Draw the mRNA-gene after the alternative splacing.

9. It is known that all types of RNA are synthesized on a DNA template. A fragment of a DNA molecule
on which a central loop of tRNA is synthesized has the following nucleotide sequence:
5’-GCTTCCACTGTTACA-3’.
Establish the nucleotide sequence of the tRNA region that is synthesized on this fragment, and the
amino acid that this tRNA will carry during protein biosynthesis, if the third triplet corresponds to the
tRNA anticodon. To solve the problem, use the genetic code table.
10. It is known that all types of RNA are synthesized on a DNA template. A fragment of a DNA
molecule on which a central loop of tRNA is synthesized has the following nucleotide sequence (assume
that the top strand is the sense strand):

Establish the nucleotide sequence of the tRNA region that is synthesized on this fragment, and the
amino acid that this tRNA will carry during protein biosynthesis, if the third triplet corresponds to the
tRNA anticodon. To solve the problem, use the genetic code table.