Step I Nbme 6

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

firstaid2012

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Which of the following best explains why proteins synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and secreted from eukaryotic cells have a shorter length than would be predicted by their respective mRNAs?
A ) Cleavage of 5? segments of nascent polypeptides being synthesized on polyribosomes in the endoplasmic reticulum
B ) Covalent binding of nascent polypeptides to specific membrane proteins during their synthesis
C ) Nonspecific protease activity during passage of these proteins through the endoplasmic reticulum membrane
D ) Shortening of the carboxy terminus because hydrophobic amino acids remain within the membrane
 
Think of how proinsulin is converted into insulin: mature mRNA coding for still contains the sequence for C-peptide. After translation, C-peptide is cleaved from the polypeptide chain, which converts proinsulin into insulin.

So the answer should be A.
 
All proteins targeted for the RER must have a single recongition sequence in the mRNA/protein in order to get there from the cytosol; these are at the 5' end and it's the only way they get there! Once the ribosome binds this sequence and takes the mRNA/protein it to the RER, the small sequence gets cleaved within the ER and the protein can go on being modified, secreted, whatever...........