A geneticist induces a mutation in the gene that codes for cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) in a line of cells growing in the laboratory. What would be the immediate effect of this mutation on RNA molecules in the cultured cells? The Immediate Effects of a Mutation in the CPSF Gene on RNA Molecules

The Immediate Effects of a Mutation in the CPSF Gene on RNA Molecules

The cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF) gene is responsible for the cleavage and polyadenylation of pre-mRNA molecules, which is an essential step in the production of mature mRNA molecules. If a geneticist induces a mutation in the CPSF gene, the immediate effect on RNA molecules in the cultured cells will be a decrease in the production of mature mRNA molecules. This is because the mutated CPSF gene will be unable to correctly recognize the pre-mRNA cleavage and polyadenylation signals, leading to the production of abnormally large, non-functional pre-mRNA molecules (Stanojevic, 2016). The decreased production of mature mRNA molecules due to the mutated CPSF gene has several downstream effects. Firstly, there will be decreased levels of proteins encoded by the mRNA molecules, leading to a decrease in the various functions of the proteins. Secondly, the mutated gene will also. Cont…