1. (3 pts) The lin-4 microRNA in C. elegans inhibits translation of the lin-14 g

Question

1. (3 pts) The lin-4 microRNA in C. elegans inhibits translation of the lin-14 gene by complementary base pairing with up to seven sequences in the lin-14 gene 3’UTR (see Box 20-2, figure 2b on page 723 of your textbook). How could you mutate the lin-14 gene so that lin-4 would cause degradation of the lin-14 mRNA instead of inhibition of translation? Give an example of how you would change the lin-14 sequence using the fourth lin-4 binding site in figure 2b.

Grading: 2 pts for describing in general terms what you would do to mutate lin-14 to cause it to be degraded; 1 pt for giving the mutated sequence of the fourth lin-4 binding site.

Explanation / Answer

How could you mutate the lin-14 gene so that lin-4 would cause degradation of the lin-14 mRNA instead of inhibition of translation?

siRNA would bind with the perfectly complementary region in the mRNA resulting in the degradation of the mRNA whereas miRNA binds with the complementary region in the mRNA leading to inhibition of translation or degradation of mRNA.

In order for lin-14 to degrade the lin-14 mRNA, lin-14 should be mutated in such a way it has the perfectly complementary sequence (generate a siRNA of lin-14) to the 3' untranslated region of the lin-14 mRNA in addition to the seed region.

Give an example of how you would change the lin-14 sequence using the fourth lin-4 binding site in figure 2b.

Since the image is not provided, I am afraid I cannot provide an example of how you would change the lin-14 sequence

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