A researcher introduces double-stranded RNA into a culture of mammalian cells and can identify its location or that of its smaller subsections experimentally, using a fluorescent probe. Some time later, she finds that the introduced strand separates into single-stranded RNAs, one of which is degraded. What does this enable the remaining strand to do?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The remaining strand of the double-stranded RNA can bind to complementary regions of target mRNAs, leading to their degradation or inhibition of translation. This process is known as RNA interference (RNAi), which is a regulatory mechanism for gene expression. The degradation of one of the single-stranded RNAs does not affect the ability of the remaining strand to perform RNAi. Choices A, C, and D are not related to the process of RNAi.

A Researcher Introduces Double-Stranded RNA into a Culture of Mammalian