Chapter 10, Problem 7P

Answers to all problems are at the end of this book. Detailed solutions are available in the Student Solutions Manual, Study Guide, and Problems Book.

The Sequence Relationship Between an Antisense RNA Strand and Its Template DNA Strand The DNA strand that is complementary to the template strand copied by RNA polymerase during transcription has a nucleotide sequence identical to that of the RNA being synthesized (except T residues are found in the DNA strand at sites where U residues occur in the RNA). An RNA transcribed from this nontem-plate DNA strand would be complementary to the mRNA synthesized by RNA polymerase. Such an RNA is called antisense RNA because its base sequence is complementary to the “sense" mRNA. One strategy to thwart the deleterious effects of genes activated in disease slates (such as cancer) is to generate antisense RNAs in affected cells. These antisense RNAs would form double-stranded hybrids with mRNAs transcribed from the activated genes and prevent their translation into protein. Suppose transcription of a cancer-activated gene yielded an mRNA whose sequence included the segment 5’-UACGUCUAAGCUGA. What is the corresponding nucleotide sequence (5’ $\to$The template strand in a DNA duplex that might be introduced into these cells so that an untisense RNA could be transcribed from it?