Transcription and RNA Processing

AP Biology· difficulty 1/5

5' cap coding sequence poly-A tail Mature eukaryotic mRNA

What roles do the 5' cap and 3' poly-A tail play in mRNA function?

  • A

    They protect the mRNA from exonuclease degradation and aid in nuclear export and ribosome binding.

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  • B

    They mark the mRNA for degradation.

  • C

    They serve as splice donor and acceptor sites.

  • D

    They are translated as protein extensions.

Explanation

The 7-methylguanosine cap and poly-A tail stabilize mRNA against exonucleases, facilitate nuclear export, and promote ribosome recruitment for translation.

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