Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
How does a bacterial ribosome initially bind to the mRNA during translation?
A
By binding to the 5' cap structure
B
By attaching to the poly-A tail
C
By recognizing the Shine-Dalgarno sequence
D
By interacting with the Kozak sequence
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that bacterial ribosomes initiate translation by recognizing specific sequences on the mRNA.
Identify that in bacteria, the ribosome binds to the mRNA at a site called the Shine-Dalgarno sequence, which is located upstream of the start codon.
The Shine-Dalgarno sequence is a purine-rich region on the mRNA that is complementary to a sequence on the 16S rRNA component of the small ribosomal subunit.
This complementary base pairing helps position the ribosome correctly on the mRNA to start translation at the correct start codon.
Note that the 5' cap structure and poly-A tail are features of eukaryotic mRNA, and the Kozak sequence is involved in eukaryotic translation initiation, not bacterial.