Question 1

Which protein is essential for the processing of both siRNA and microRNA in the RNA interference pathway?

Accepted Answer

Dicer

Question 2

In the Fire et al. experiment with Caenorhabditis elegans, what was the key finding regarding the effectiveness of RNA types in gene silencing?

Accepted Answer

Double-stranded RNA was most effective

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a function of RNA interference (RNAi)?

Accepted Answer

Protein synthesis

Question 4

What is the role of the RISC complex in the RNAi pathway?

Accepted Answer

It degrades target mRNA

Question 5

Which experiment would best demonstrate that a predicted microRNA is functional?

Accepted Answer

Knockout Dicer and observe if microRNA function is lost

Question 6

In the context of non-coding RNAs, what does 'cis' regulation refer to?

Accepted Answer

Regulation of neighboring genes on the same DNA molecule

Question 7

What is the main difference between siRNA and microRNA biogenesis?

Accepted Answer

siRNAs are processed from long double-stranded RNA, while microRNAs are processed from hairpin precursors

Question 8

Which of the following is a plausible alternative explanation for the gene-specific effect observed in the Fire et al. RNAi experiments?

Accepted Answer

Double-stranded RNA can target multiple genes with sequence specificity

Question 9

What does it mean if a mutation in Lin-14 is epistatic to a mutation in Lin-4 in C. elegans?

Accepted Answer

Lin-14 mutation masks the effect of Lin-4 mutation

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the mechanism by which microRNAs regulate gene expression?

Accepted Answer

They bind to complementary mRNA sequences and promote degradation or inhibit translation

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a good way to prove a predicted microRNA is actually one?

Accepted Answer

Inject double-stranded version of microRNA

Question 12

What is the function of the RITS complex in the RNAi pathway?

Accepted Answer

It initiates chromatin remodeling and transcriptional silencing

Question 13

Which of the following best explains why double-stranded RNA is more effective than single-stranded RNA in gene silencing experiments?

Accepted Answer

Double-stranded RNA is recognized and processed by Dicer, leading to efficient gene silencing

Question 14

Which of the following is a real-world application of RNAi technology?

Accepted Answer

Knockdown of disease-related genes in model organisms

Question 15

What is the significance of finding small RNAs (~21 bp) derived from a region with no protein-coding genes in C. elegans?

Accepted Answer

It indicates the presence of a non-coding RNA with regulatory function

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the seed sequence in microRNA targeting is correct?

Accepted Answer

The seed sequence is a region of 6-8 base pairs that is complementary to the target mRNA

Question 17

Which of the following is a direct effect of siRNA or microRNA binding to mRNA?

Accepted Answer

Degradation of the target mRNA

Question 18

In the context of dosage compensation, what role do long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play?

Accepted Answer

They are involved in X-inactivation by recruiting silencing complexes

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the experimental approach used by Fire et al. to study gene silencing in C. elegans?

Accepted Answer

Injection of double-stranded RNA into worms to observe gene-specific effects

Question 20

Which of the following is a plausible reason why sense and antisense single-stranded RNAs were less effective than double-stranded RNA in the Fire et al. experiment?

Accepted Answer

Single-stranded RNAs are not recognized by the RNAi machinery

Non-coding RNA Regulation of Gene Expression: RNAi, microRNAs, and lncRNAs in Genetics - Nov 19

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards