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An mRNA has the following sequence: 5'-AUG UAC UAU GGG GCG UAA-3'

Describe the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide that would be encoded by this mRNA. Be specific about the amino and carboxyl terminal ends.

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Final answer:

The mRNA sequence 5'-AUG UAC UAU GGG GCG UAA-3' translates to the polypeptide with the amino acid sequence Methionine-Tyrosine-Tyrosine-Glycine-Alanine. It starts with methionine (the initiation codon) and ends with a stop codon (UAA), which signals the termination of translation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mRNA sequence 5'-AUG UAC UAU GGG GCG UAA-3' encodes for a polypeptide with a specific sequence of amino acids. Translation of this mRNA sequence begins at the start codon (AUG), which also codes for the amino acid methionine. Each subsequent triplet, or codon, corresponds to a specific amino acid as per the genetic code.

The given sequence can be translated as follows:

  • AUG - Methionine (start)
  • UAC - Tyrosine
  • UAU - Tyrosine
  • GGG - Glycine
  • GCG - Alanine
  • UAA - Stop (termination codon)

The polypeptide sequence would therefore be Methionine-Tyrosine-Tyrosine-Glycine-Alanine, with methionine being the amino (N) terminal end and alanine being the carboxyl (C) terminal end. The sequence ends with the UAA codon, which does not code for an amino acid but serves as a stop signal, signifying the end of translation.