Multiple Choice
In the context of an overview of transcription, which term best describes the process by which RNA is made from DNA?
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10. Transcription
Overview of Transcription
Multiple Choice
Which action is one role of RNA polymerase during transcription?
A
It catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds to synthesize an RNA strand complementary to the DNA template.
B
It removes introns from the pre-mRNA by catalyzing RNA splicing.
C
It joins Okazaki fragments together during lagging-strand DNA replication.
D
It unwinds DNA ahead of the replication fork by relieving supercoiling.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the role of RNA polymerase in transcription, which is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template.
Recall that RNA polymerase reads the DNA template strand and synthesizes a complementary RNA strand by linking ribonucleotides together.
Recognize that the key chemical reaction catalyzed by RNA polymerase is the formation of phosphodiester bonds between the 3' hydroxyl group of the growing RNA strand and the 5' phosphate group of the incoming ribonucleotide.
Note that RNA polymerase does not remove introns (this is done by the spliceosome), nor does it join Okazaki fragments (a function of DNA ligase), nor does it unwind DNA ahead of the replication fork (a function of helicase and topoisomerase).
Therefore, the primary role of RNA polymerase during transcription is to catalyze the formation of phosphodiester bonds to synthesize an RNA strand complementary to the DNA template.
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