1
Q
Define the major similarities and differences between DNA and RNA
A
- 2’ OH group which makes RNA intrinsically unstable b/c OH group can cause a nucleophilic attack of the nearest phosphodiester bond
- Generally single stranded, DNA double stranded
- RNA can form complex 3 dimensional structures
2
Q
Define 3 classes of RNA in a human cell
A
- Structural RNA (rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, snoRNA)
- Regulatory RNA (miRNA, siRNA)
- Information containing RNA (mRNA)
3
Q
Explain how puromycin mimics amino-acyl tRNA to terminate translation
A
Bind to ribosome and mimics amino-acyl tRNA structure, but the amino acid of puromycin cannot be cleaved from puromycin. This disallows addition of amino acids to polypeptide chain, effectively ending translation.
