Expanding repeats have been found in several diseases. How do expanding repeats cause a disease?
A) All the codons are translated, causing a malfunctioning of the cell.
B) It increases methylation of the adenines, which stops transcription.
C) DNA polymerase is not able to properly attach to the promoter to start translation.
D) The repeats interfere with translation of normal mRNAs.
E) They cause a frame-shift mutation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Expanding repeats can interfere with translation of normal mRNAs by forming secondary structures that sequester proteins involved in translation or by disrupting the ribosome's ability to read the mRNA properly. This can lead to a loss of function of critical genes and result in disease.

Expanding Repeats Have Been Found in Several Diseases