Question

In bacteria, single polycistronic mRNA encodes for:

a. a single enzyme although there are many in the metabolic pathway.
b. multiple enzymes of the particular pathway.
c. a single mRNA which is split into multiple mRNAs before translation.
d. a single peptide with multiple catabolic sites.
e. none of the above.

Answer 1

The correct answer is option b. "multiple enzymes of the particular pathway".

Step-by-step explanation:

A polycistronic mRNA is defined as a single mRNA molecule that encodes for multiple proteins. Bacteria has developed the capacity of synthesizing polycistronic mRNAs from operon genes in order to encode for multiple enzymes of a particular biological pathway at the same time. This adaptation helps the bacteria to quickly start the biological pathway needed at the moment, which is particular useful when it faces stressful conditions.