Question

Because transposons can induce mutations, organisms have been selected to suppress transposition. This suppression can be carried out by all of the following mechanisms EXCEPT:

A. the attenuation of the transposase transcript.
B. the use of methylation to silence the transposon.
C. blocking translation of the transposase.
D. the use of piRNA to block transposase transcription.
E. Actually, all of these mechanisms are used.

Answer 1

The mechanisms used to suppress transposition in organisms include the attenuation of the transposase transcript, the use of methylation, and blocking translation. However, piRNA does not suppress transposition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mechanisms used to suppress transposition in organisms include the attenuation of the transposase transcript, the use of methylation to silence the transposon, and blocking translation of the transposase. However, one mechanism that does not suppress transposition is the use of piRNA to block transposase transcription. PiRNA (piwi-interacting RNA) is involved in regulating transposons in the germline cells of animals. It works by guiding a protein complex to transposon transcripts and targeting them for degradation, thus preventing their transcription into proteins. Therefore, the correct answer is D. the use of piRNA to block transposase transcription.