The enzyme ployadenylate polymerase catalyzes the addition...

The enzyme ployadenylate polymerase catalyzes the addition of adenosine monophosphate to the 3’ ends of mRNAs to form a poly-A tail. If the enzyme were blocked so that it could not function, the result would be: a. increased mRNA stability in eukaryotes, and decreased mRNA stability in prokaryotes b. decreased mRNA stability in eukaryotes, and no effect in prokaryotes c. no effect in eukaryotes, and increased mRNA stability in prokaryotes d. no effect in eukaryotes, and decreased mRNA stability in prokaryotes

The enzyme ployadenylate polymerase catalyzes the addition of adenosine monophosphate to the 3’ ends of mRNAs to form a poly-A tail. If the enzyme were blocked so that it could not function, the result would be:
a. increased mRNA stability in eukaryotes, and decreased mRNA stability in prokaryotes
b. decreased mRNA stability in eukaryotes, and no effect in prokaryotes
c. no effect in eukaryotes, and increased mRNA stability in prokaryotes
d. no effect in eukaryotes, and decreased mRNA stability in prokaryotes

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Key Concepts

mRNA Stability

mRNA stability is an important factor in gene regulation, controlling the lifespan of the mRNA and thus its ability to be translated into protein. In eukaryotes, the poly-A tail protects the mRNA from exonucleolytic degradation. Without a poly-A tail, mRNAs become less stable, leading to reduced protein synthesis.

mRNA Polyadenylation

This refers to the addition of a poly-A tail—a long chain of adenosine monophosphate residues—to the 3' end of an mRNA molecule. In eukaryotes, polyadenylation is a crucial post-transcriptional modification that affects mRNA stability, nuclear export, and translation. The enzyme polyadenylate polymerase catalyzes this process, and disruptions can lead to unstable mRNAs that are more susceptible to degradation.

Eukaryotic versus Prokaryotic mRNA Processing

Eukaryotic mRNA undergoes extensive processing, including the addition of a poly-A tail, capping, and splicing, all of which are not required in prokaryotic mRNA. In prokaryotes, mRNAs typically do not receive a poly-A tail, so any disruption in polyadenylation mainly affects eukaryotic mRNAs, highlighting a fundamental difference in post-transcriptional regulation between the two systems.

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