Question

If you gradually decrease the Mg2+ concentration of the solution of ribosomes, what will you expect?

(a) The subunits will associate faster

(b) The subunits will dissociate

(c) rRNA will separate from its protein

(d) The two subunits will dissociate into its rRNA

I have been asked this question by my college director while I was bunking the class.

My question is from Ribosome topic in division Gene Expression : Translation of Cytogenetics

Answer 1

Correct answer is (b) The subunits will dissociate

Explanation: Low Mg^2+ concentration facilitates dissociation of the subunits of RNA polymerases. On the contrary increasing Mg^2+ concentration will promote association in vitro.