USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) Practice Exam

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During translation in prokaryotes, where does the ribosome bind?

Start Codon
Promoter Region
Shine-Dalgarno Sequence
Stop Codon

The correct answer is: Shine-Dalgarno Sequence

In prokaryotes, the ribosome binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence during the initiation of translation. This sequence is a ribosomal binding site located upstream of the start codon in the mRNA. The Shine-Dalgarno sequence is complementary to a region on the 16S rRNA of the small ribosomal subunit, allowing for the precise positioning of the ribosome to ensure the correct initiation of the polypeptide synthesis at the start codon. This mechanism facilitates the recruitment of the ribosome to the mRNA, aligning it appropriately so that translation can begin effectively. The other options do not serve as binding sites for the ribosome; the promoter region is where RNA polymerase binds for transcription initiation, the start codon is where translation actually begins but is not the initial binding site, and the stop codon signals the termination of translation rather than initiating it.