Question

Answer the questions below based on this RNA sequences: 5'-AUGAUGAUGAUG-3'. Imagine that the genetic code were read in a non-overlapping fashion, using four nucleotides to specify each amino acid (i.e., the sequence above would be read: AUGA-UGAU-GUAG). Which of the following polypeptides would be obtained by translating the sequence above?

1) B-B-B
2) B-D-B
3) B-D-E
4) D-D-D
5) None of these is correct

Answer 1

The RNA sequence 5'-AUGAUGAUGAUG-3' cannot be translated into a polypeptide using a quadruplet code without a provided correspondence table. The standard genetic code uses triplets of nucleotides, and the options provided do not correspond to any known amino acid encoded by a quadruplet code; thus, the answer is (5) None of these is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the given RNA sequence 5'-AUGAUGAUGAUG-3', if the genetic code were read in a non-overlapping fashion using four nucleotides per amino acid (e.g., AUGA-UGAU-GUAG), we must consider a hypothetical genetic code where each quadruplet of nucleotides translates to a specific amino acid.

However, without a provided correspondence table for a quadruplet code, we can't definitively determine which amino acids the given sequence codes for. In the standard genetic code, amino acids are encoded by triplets (codons) of nucleotides. The sequence provided does not correspond to actual codons or a known modified genetic code for translation, rendering the given options (1) B-B-B, (2) B-D-B, (3) B-D-E, and (4) D-D-D) unmatchable to the sequence without additional information.

Therefore, the correct answer is (5) None of these is correct because there is no standard quadruplet genetic code to reference, and we cannot assume the amino acids that AUGA, UGAU, or GUAG would represent if codons were four nucleotides long.