What is the difference between monocistronic and polycistronic?

Open in App

Solution

Mono-cistronic mRNA: Mono-cistron means one cistron within a transcriptional unit, which means that it contains only one structural gene encoding a single polypeptide chain. Each gene contains a separate promoter region.
Polycistronic mRNA: Poly-cistron mRNA is an mRNA that encodes multiple proteins and is characteristic of many bacterial and chloroplast mRNAs.
Difference between monocistronic and polycistronic:
Monocistronic mRNA Polycistronic mRNA
1. Monocistron mRNA refers to mRNA with a single cistron. 1. Polycistron mRNA refers to mRNA with two or more cistrons.
2. Monocistron mRNA is found in eukaryotes. 2. Polycistron mRNA is found in prokaryotes.
3. Most mRNAs are monocistronic, but some are polycistrons.
Open reading frame Monocistron mRNA is composed of a single open reading frame.
3. Polycistron mRNA is composed of multiple open reading frames.
4. Transcription of genes produces monocistronic mRNA. 4. Transcription of operons produces polycistron mRNA.
5. Monocistron mRNA can produce a single protein. 5. Polycistron mRNA can produce multiple proteins.

Suggest Corrections

Similar questions

What is the difference between polycistronic and monocistronic ?

What are cistrons? Why are eukaryotes called monocistronic and prokaryotes polycistronic?

if bacteria is polycistronic and dna is monocistronic then how does bacteria becomes monocistronic

Join BYJU'S Learning Program

Monocistronic mRNA	Polycistronic mRNA
1. Monocistron mRNA refers to mRNA with a single cistron.	1. Polycistron mRNA refers to mRNA with two or more cistrons.
2. Monocistron mRNA is found in eukaryotes.	2. Polycistron mRNA is found in prokaryotes.
3. Most mRNAs are monocistronic, but some are polycistrons. Open reading frame Monocistron mRNA is composed of a single open reading frame.	3. Polycistron mRNA is composed of multiple open reading frames.
4. Transcription of genes produces monocistronic mRNA.	4. Transcription of operons produces polycistron mRNA.
5. Monocistron mRNA can produce a single protein.	5. Polycistron mRNA can produce multiple proteins.