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Ch.11 Nucleic Acids–Big Molecules with a Big Role

Chapter 6, Problem 11.28

The sequence of bases in a DNA template strand is 5'GGCTTATTGCCA3'. What is the corresponding mRNA produced?

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All right. Hello everyone. So this question says, given the DNA template strand from five prime to three prime, we have at TCGT A AC CGT, what is the corresponding Mrna sequence produced during transcription? And here we have four different entry choices labeled a through D proposing different possible Mrna sequences. So first and foremost, recall that transcription is the process by which DNA is converted into a complementary MRN A strand. So if given the DNA template, all we would need to do is replace each DNA base with the MRN A complement. So when talking about MRN A recall that a adenine is pairing with Uracil and vice versa, and cytosine is pairing with guanine and vice versa. Now, when you have thymine in the original DNA strand that's going to result in an adenine nucleotide in the MRN A thymine, if you recall does not or is not present in MRN A. So here, let's go ahead and rewrite our template strand. So from five prime to three prime, we have a TC GGT A AC and CGT. So here recall also that because the Mrna sequence has to be complementary, it's also going to be anti parallel. So if the DNA strand is written from five prime to three prime, the MRN A is going to be written from three prime to five prime. So now let's go ahead and recall our base pairing rules for MRN A. First, we have Adenine in our DNA, which codes or which pairs with us L thymine pairs with adenine. Cytosine pairs with guanine guanine pairs with cytosine thymine with adenine. Both adenines in the DNA pair with il in the MRN A cytosine prays with guanine guanine with cytosine and thymine with a with a. So this means that this means that our MRNA sequence from three prime to five prime is U AC caugc, but this remarkably doesn't match any of our answer choices. So what if we flipped it instead? What if we flipped it back to the conventional five prime to three prime direction? Well, when doing so we get ac G guu ac C Gau and this matches with option B in the multiple choice. So there you have it. And with that being said, thank you so very much for watching. And I hope you found this helpful.