Question

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disorder in which nuclear pores get clogged. Which step of gene expression would be inhibited due to this condition?

1) Transcription
2) Translation
3) Replication
4) Splicing

Answer 1

In ALS, clogged nuclear pores would likely inhibit the mRNA transport necessary for translation, one of the critical steps of gene expression, as mRNA must be transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm to synthesize proteins.

Step-by-step explanation:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor neurons. It leads to muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and ultimately paralysis due to the degeneration of motor neurons. This neurodegenerative disease also involves changes to nuclear pores which may become clogged, affecting cellular function.

One of the critical steps in gene expression is the transport of messenger RNA (mRNA) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it can be translated into proteins. This transport occurs through nuclear pores. Therefore, in the context of ALS where nuclear pores are mentioned as getting clogged, the step of gene expression most likely to be inhibited would be translation, because the mRNA would have difficulty exiting the nucleus to reach the ribosomes in the cytoplasm where translation occurs.

While other steps such as transcription, replication, and splicing occur within the nucleus and could be indirectly affected by general cellular dysfunction, it is the process of mRNA transport and subsequent translation that would be directly impacted by clogged nuclear pores.