3. Energy & Cell Processes

Toxins like αα-amanitin are used for research in much the same way as null mutants (Chapter 16)—to disrupt a process and see what happens when it no longer works. Researchers examined the ability of αα-amanitin to inhibit different RNA polymerases. They purified RNA polymerases I, II, and III from rat liver, incubated the enzymes with different concentrations of αα-amanitin, and then tested their activity. The results of this experiment are shown here. These findings suggest that cells treated with αα-amanitin will have a reduced level of:a. tRNAsb. rRNAsc. snRNAsd. mRNAs

Eating even a single death cap mushroom (Amanita phalloides) can be fatal due to a compound called αα-amanitin, a toxin that inhibits transcription.What would you predict to be the immediate outcome of adding αα-amanitin to a cell?a. reduced DNA synthesisb. reduced production of one or more types of RNAc. reduced binding of tRNAs to anticodonsd. reduced rate of translocation of ribosomes translating mRNA