NEETZoologyMolecular Basis of Inheritance
In a transcription unit, if the positions of the promoter and terminator are interchanged, which of the following will be the direct consequence?
Options
- AThe enzyme RNA polymerase will synthesize RNA in the 3' 5' direction.
- BThe template strand will change but the coding strand will remain unaltered.
- CThe definition of the coding and template strands will be reversed.
- DThe structural gene will be transcribed into an identical mRNA sequence.
Correct answer
C. The definition of the coding and template strands will be reversed.
Step-by-step solution
According to NCERT, the presence of a promoter in a transcription unit defines the template and coding strands. The RNA polymerase binds to the promoter and initiates transcription. If the positions of the promoter and terminator are interchanged, the RNA polymerase will bind at the opposite end and must transcribe the opposite strand to maintain its mandatory 5' 3' polymerization direction. Consequently, the definition of the coding and template strands is reversed. The enzyme cannot synthesize RNA in the 3' 5' di