Practice Questions

TLS Online TPP Program

#Question id: 799

The two cleavage reactions required to generate the miRNA from these primary transcripts are mediated by two distinct RNases. A characteristic of both these enzymes is that they recognize and cleave RNAs on the basis of the structure of their substrates rather than their specific sequence. Which of the following statement is INCORRECT regarding the cleavage reactions that produces a mature RNA?

#SCPH05 I Biotechnology

Drosha resides in the cell’s nucleus, and the Drosha-catalyzed cleavage event occurs in that cellular compartment that generates a pre-miRNA which is ~65–70 nucleotides long.
The pre-miRNA liberated by Drosha is exported to the cytoplasm, where the second RNA cleavage reaction, performed by Dicer, takes place which cleaves pre-miRNA 22 nucleotides from its ends.
For processing by Drosha, ssRNA lacking significant secondary structure, is needed flanking each side (5’ and 3’) of the stem-loop. It is the ssRNA–dsRNA junctions that are in responsible for determining the cleavage specificity of Drosha.
The RNase II family enzymes are specific for dsRNA and cleave it in a manner that leaves a 2-nucleotide overhang on the 3’ ends of the dsRNA product. This 3’ overhang is important for recognition of that RNA molecule by the next enzyme in the pathway, Dicer.