Biochem Lecture #18

Question 1

What are Self-cleaving Ribosymes?

Answer 1

Self-cleaving ribozymes are a class of ribozymes that can catalyze their own cleavage (cutting) without the need for proteins. This self-cleavage activity is essential for several biological processes, such as the replication of certain viruses and the regulation of gene expression.

Question 2

What is a Ribozyme?

Answer 2

Ribozymes are RNA molecules capable of catalyzing specific biochemical reactions, similar to protein enzymes.

Question 3

What is a Coenzyme?

Answer 3

A coenzyme is a non-protein organic molecule that binds to an enzyme and is essential for its catalytic activity.

Question 4

What does Splicing of Ribosymes mean?

Answer 4

Self-splicing ribozymes can catalyze their own excision from an RNA molecule.
So, these are INTRONS (non-coding regions in the RNA).
—> In summary, they are introns that have the catalytic capability to remove themselves from an RNA transcript without the aid of additional enzymes. And they are Ribozymes, which are the RNA version of an Enzyme (enzyme is made of protein obviously).

Question 5

In the RNA folding process, counterions help neutralize the backbone charges, promoting RNA strand compaction, and ultimately help drive proper folding of non-coding RNA.

Question 1 options:
True
False

Answer 5

True

Question 5

Describe the GNRA motif.

–>Specify, is it a Pyrimidine or a Purine in there?

Answer 5

–>it’s a purine.

Question 5

What are Substrate Recognition Pockets?

Answer 5

Substrate recognition pockets are critical structural features in enzymes and ribozymes that play a fundamental role in the selective binding of specific substrate molecules. These pockets are often highly specialized regions within the molecule that have evolved to recognize and bind to particular chemical groups or structures in the substrate, facilitating the catalytic reaction

Question 5

Can you describe what a Wobble base pairing means?

Question 6

What is Pseudouridine?

Question 7

Question 13 (1 point)
Which of the following statements is NOT a reason that the folding process of non-coding RNA and proteins are different?

Question 13 options:

The free energy minima that arise along of the non-coding RNA folding pathway are deeper than those along the protein folding pathway.

The backbone of proteins and of RNA provide a driving force to folding.

The folding process of RNA and the folding of proteins are not templated.

RNA has fewer building blocks than proteins.

The hydrophobic collapse only makes a big contribution to protein folding.

Answer 7

The statement that is NOT a reason that the folding process of non-coding RNA and proteins are different is:

The backbone of proteins and of RNA provide a driving force to folding.

This statement does not highlight a difference but rather a similarity between the two molecules in terms of a driving force for folding. Both RNA and protein folding are influenced by their backbones (through hydrogen bonding and the peptide bond, respectively), but this does not differentiate their folding processes in the context provided by the other options.

Question 7

pre-mRNA maturation to mRNA involves a guanosine nucleotide that is not part of the RNA polymer undergoing splicing.

Question 14 options:
True
False