Answer to Question #68412 in Cell Biology for Del Eaton

Question

There are slight differences in the base pair sequences between the alleles of maternal and paternal genes that code for the same protein. These cause corresponding slight differences in the amino acid sequences of the resulting protein. Are these slight differences significant enough that the gene must have a mechanism to select whether the mRNA comes from the maternal or the paternal allele when the cell is synthesizing a specific protein? Limit this question to non-sex cells during the interphase stage when the cell is not dividing and is performing its usual function.