Which of the following is most likely to occur if a researcher removes the 5' cap and poly-A tail of an mRNA and inserts the mRNA molecule into a eukaryotic cell?

Question

The mRNA will attaches to a ribosome and be translated, but more slowly.
The cell will add a new poly-A tail to the mRNA.
The molecule will be degraded by enzymes.
The mRNA will be quickly converted into a ribosomal subunit.

Answer 1

If a researcher removes the 5' cap and poly-A tail of an mRNA and inserts it into a eukaryotic cell, the most likely outcome is:

The molecule will be degraded by enzymes.

Both the 5' cap and the poly-A tail are crucial for the stability of mRNA molecules in eukaryotic cells. The 5' cap protects the mRNA from degradation and is important for ribosome binding during translation, while the poly-A tail facilitates mRNA stability and export from the nucleus as well as translation efficiency. Without these modifications, the mRNA is likely to be recognized by cellular decay pathways and rapidly degraded by exonucleases and other enzymes.