Before the technology existed to synthesize RNAmolecules of defined sequence like those in Fig. 8.5,similar experiments were performed with syntheticmRNAs of undefined sequence. For example, RNAsconsisting only of Us and Gs could be synthesized invitro, but they would have random sequences. Supposea pool of random-sequence RNAs was synthesized ina reaction mixture containing three times as much UTPas GTP, and that the resulting RNAs were translatedin vitro.a. How many different codons exist in the RNAs?b. How many different amino acids would you find inthe polypeptides synthesized?c. Why are your answers to (a) and (b) not the same?d. How often would you expect to find each of thecodons in (a)?e. In what proportions would you expect to find eachof the amino acids in the polypeptides?f. If you did this experiment—that is, synthesizedrandom-sequence RNAs containing a 3:1 ratio ofU:G, and quantified the amount of each amino acidin the polypeptides produced—prior to knowledgeof the genetic code table, what would the resultshave told you?

Human Anatomy & Physiology (11th Edition)
11th Edition
ISBN:9780134580999
Author:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Publisher:Elaine N. Marieb, Katja N. Hoehn
Chapter1: The Human Body: An Orientation
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Before the technology existed to synthesize RNA
molecules of defined sequence like those in Fig. 8.5,
similar experiments were performed with synthetic
mRNAs of undefined sequence. For example, RNAs
consisting only of Us and Gs could be synthesized in
vitro, but they would have random sequences. Suppose
a pool of random-sequence RNAs was synthesized in
a reaction mixture containing three times as much UTP
as GTP, and that the resulting RNAs were translated
in vitro.
a. How many different codons exist in the RNAs?
b. How many different amino acids would you find in
the polypeptides synthesized?
c. Why are your answers to (a) and (b) not the same?
d. How often would you expect to find each of the
codons in (a)?
e. In what proportions would you expect to find each
of the amino acids in the polypeptides?
f. If you did this experiment—that is, synthesized
random-sequence RNAs containing a 3:1 ratio of
U:G, and quantified the amount of each amino acid
in the polypeptides produced—prior to knowledge
of the genetic code table, what would the results
have told you?

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