A scientist performs an experiment that uses a chemical inhibitor to inhibit a kinase enzyme in a signaling pathway and this res
ults in a decrease in signaling. If the scientist wanted to be sure that this kinase was indeed responsible for the decrease in signaling, which of the following would be the best to use?A. Use of luciferaseB. Use of antibodiesC. Use of another inhibitor that targets a unrelated kinase.D. Use of siRNA to the kinase mRNA in question.E. None of the above
The correct answer is option D. "Use of siRNA to the kinase mRNA in question".
Explanation:
Small interfering RNA (siRNA), also known as interfering or silencing RNA, is a small molecule of RNA (20-25 base pairs) that binds to a particular region of a messenger RNA, avoiding its translation into protein. These type of interfering molecules are often used to silence genes and corroborate their function by analyzing what are the biological consequences of avoiding their translation into protein. Therefore, if a scientist wants to know if a kinase is indeed responsible for the decrease in signaling, a good option is to use a siRNA to the kinase mRNA in question.
