Question

Compare and contrast the specific mechanisms in these two types of regulation with that involving short noncoding RNAs (sRNAs). Sort the items to their respective bins.

a) Resethelp

b) Attenuation

c) Droppable riboswitch

d) Droppable both attenuation and riboswitch

e) Droppable sRNAs

Answer 1

Attenuation and riboswitches regulate transcription and translation in prokaryotes by forming stem-loop structures in mRNA. Short noncoding RNAs (sRNAs), such as microRNAs, degrade RNA molecules after transcription and translation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Attenuation and riboswitches are two specific mechanisms involved in the regulation of transcription and translation in prokaryotes. Attenuation occurs when secondary stem-loop structures formed within the 5' end of an mRNA determine if transcription will proceed. If a terminator stem-loop forms, transcription terminates, whereas an antiterminator stem-loop allows transcription to continue. Riboswitches, on the other hand, are small regions of noncoding RNA that bind to intracellular molecules and stabilize specific secondary structures of mRNA, affecting mRNA synthesis and protein synthesis.

Short noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) are another type of regulatory mechanism that can bind to RNA molecules and degrade them. These sRNAs, also known as microRNAs (miRNAs), are small RNA molecules that recognize specific RNA sequences and associate with a complex called the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), leading to the degradation of the target mRNA. Unlike attenuation and riboswitches, sRNAs target and degrade unwanted RNA molecules after they have been transcribed and translated.