Expression of a cloned eukaryotic gene in a bacterial cell involves many challenges. The use of mRNA and reverse transcriptase is part of a strategy to solve the problem of a. post-transcriptional processing. b. post-translational processing. c. nucleic acid hybridization. d. restriction fragment ligation.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the main challenge in expressing a eukaryotic gene in a bacterial cell. Eukaryotic genes undergo post-transcriptional modifications such as splicing, capping, and polyadenylation, which are not naturally performed by bacterial cells.
2. Understand the role of mRNA and reverse transcriptase in the context of gene expression. mRNA carries the processed, mature transcript from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in eukaryotes, while reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that synthesizes complementary DNA (cDNA) from an RNA template.
3. Recognize the strategy to overcome the challenge. By using mRNA and reverse transcriptase, a cDNA version of the eukaryotic gene can be created. This cDNA lacks introns and other regions that require post-transcriptional processing, making it suitable for expression in bacterial cells.
4. Match the strategy to the correct option. The use of mRNA and reverse transcriptase directly addresses the challenge of post-transcriptional processing in bacterial cells, as it bypasses the need for splicing and other modifications.
5. Select the correct answer based on the analysis. The correct answer is: a. post-transcriptional processing.

Key Concepts

Post-Transcriptional Processing

Post-transcriptional processing refers to the modifications that mRNA undergoes after transcription in eukaryotic cells. This includes capping, polyadenylation, and splicing, which are essential for mRNA stability and translation. In cloning, bacterial cells lack the machinery to perform these modifications, making it necessary to use mature mRNA for gene expression.

Reverse Transcriptase

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme that synthesizes complementary DNA (cDNA) from an RNA template. This process is crucial when expressing eukaryotic genes in prokaryotic systems, as it allows researchers to bypass the post-transcriptional modifications of eukaryotic mRNA by directly converting it into cDNA, which can then be cloned into bacterial vectors.

Nucleic Acid Hybridization

Nucleic acid hybridization is a technique used to identify specific sequences of DNA or RNA by allowing complementary strands to bind together. This concept is important in molecular biology for applications such as gene cloning and detection, as it helps confirm the presence of a specific gene or mRNA in a sample, facilitating the study of gene expression in different organisms.