A mutant bacterium is isolated. This bacterial strain has the characteristic of very slow, "sickly" growth. You isolate mRNA from this bacteria to use in an in vitro translation system and note that even in vitro it is difficult to use this message and obtain protein. Of the following, which is a likely explanation for these results?
A)There may be a mutation in the Shine Delgarno sequence of the DNA, resulting in a RNA that poorly binds the ribosome.
B)These bacteria may not manufacture enough translation factors for effective translation.
C)This mutant may have altered tRNA molecules, such that the codon- anticodon interaction during translation is affected.
D)There may be a mutation in the ribosomal rRNA recognizing the Shine Delgarno sequence of the message.
E)In this mutant, the ribosomal subunits may not associate well enough for effective translation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Shine-Dalgarno sequence is crucial for ribosome binding in prokaryotes. A mutation here would affect mRNA translation both in vivo and in vitro, explaining the poor protein synthesis observed.

A Mutant Bacterium Is Isolated