You Are Interested in How Cyclic-AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase a (PKA)

question 22

Multiple Choice

You are interested in how cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) functions to affect learning and memory, and you decide to study its function in the brain.It is known that, in the cells you are studying, PKA works via a signal transduction pathway like the one depicted in Figure 16-15.Furthermore, it is also known that activated PKA phosphorylates the transcriptional regulator called Nerd that then activates transcription of the gene Brainy.Which situation described below will lead to an increase in Brainy transcription? Figure 16-15

• A)a mutation in the Nerd gene that produces a protein that cannot be phosphorylated by PKA
• B)a mutation in the nuclear import sequence of PKA from PPKKKRKV to PPAAAAAV
• C)a mutation in the gene that encodes cAMP phosphodiesterase that makes the enzyme inactive
• D)a mutation in the gene that encodes adenylyl cyclase that renders the enzyme unable to interact with the α subunit of the G protein

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Definitions:

Brain

The brain is the organ located in the head of an organism that coordinates its behavior and mental processes, including thought, emotion, and memory.

Association Cortex

Sometimes called association areas, the region of the cerebral cortex that is the site of the highest intellectual functions, such as thinking and problem solving.

Intellectual Functions

Cognitive capabilities related to reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thinking, comprehension, and learning.

Cerebral Cortex

The outermost layer of the brain, involved in high-level functions such as sensation, voluntary muscle movement, thought, reasoning, and memory.