In: Biology
3. In bacterial mRNAs, the AUG start codon is distinguished from all other AUGs by which of the following mechanisms ?
a) Ribosomal subunits bind at the 5’ end of the mRNA and scan
down to the first AUG, which always serves at the initiation codon
in bacteria
b) It is recognized by a specific initiation factor
c) It is preceded by a ribosome binding site sequence that base
pairs with 16S rRNA
d) The 80S ribosome specifically recognizes initiation codons in
bacteria
e) None of the above.
Answer: C. It is preceeded by a ribosomal binding site sequence that base pairs with 16S rRNA. This sequence in the prokaryotes is termed as kozak sequence and is present in the 5' untranslated region of the start codon.