The doublesex gene in fruit flies determines whether they develop into males or females - Scottish Highers Biology - Question 2 - 2023
Question 2
The doublesex gene in fruit flies determines whether they develop into males or females. The primary transcript of this gene can produce different mature transcripts... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The doublesex gene in fruit flies determines whether they develop into males or females - Scottish Highers Biology - Question 2 - 2023
Step 1
Name process A.
96%
114 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The process referred to as A is known as alternative RNA splicing. This process allows the primary RNA transcript to be spliced in different ways to produce multiple mature RNA forms.
Step 2
State why the mature transcript shown below could not be produced.
99%
104 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The specified mature transcript (Exon 2 Exon 1 Exon 3 Exon 4) could not be produced because the order or sequence of exons has changed, which does not comply with the splicing rules of this gene.
Step 3
Describe the effect of a splice site mutation on a mature transcript and the effect on the protein synthesised.
96%
101 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
A splice site mutation can lead to the retention of introns or exclusion of exons in the mature transcript. As a result, the protein synthesized may be non-functional, contain different or fewer amino acids, or have an incorrect structure. This can significantly affect the protein’s function and stability.
Join the Scottish Highers students using SimpleStudy...