The Impact of a Mutation on Translation Process in Human Cells
What would be the effect of introducing a mutation that makes the 60S ribosomal subunit nonfunctional in a human cell line on translation?
A. Translation stalls after the initiation AUG codon is identified.
B. The ribosome cannot catalyze the formation of peptide bonds between the tRNAs in the A and P sites.
C. The ribosome cannot interact with mRNAs.
D. tRNAs cannot exit the E site of the ribosome.
Answer: Translation stalls after the initiation AUG codon is identified.
Explanation:
A mutation that makes the 60S ribosomal subunit nonfunctional in a human cell line would lead to the effect where translation stalls after the initiation AUG codon is identified.
The 60S subunit is an essential component of ribosomes responsible for protein synthesis. Without a functional 60S subunit, the formation of the 80S initiation complex necessary for translation initiation cannot be completed.
As a result, the ribosome would not be able to proceed with the translation process beyond the AUG codon, ultimately halting protein synthesis in the cell.