What is post-translational modification?

What is post-translational modification?

• A. The process of translating mRNA into protein.
• B. DNA packaging into chromatin.
• C. Chemical modifications after translation (e.g., phosphorylation, glycosylation) alter activity, localization, stability, and interactions.
• D. Removal of introns from pre-mRNA.

Answer: (C)

Post-translational modification refers to chemical changes made to a protein after it has been synthesized. These modifications, such as phosphorylation adding a phosphate group or glycosylation adding sugar chains, can dramatically alter how the protein behaves—its activity, where it localizes in the cell, how long it remains before degradation, and which other molecules it can interact with. This enables the cell to regulate protein function quickly without making new proteins from scratch. The other statements describe steps before or outside this post-translation process: translating mRNA into a protein, packaging DNA into chromatin, and removing introns from pre-mRNA.

Post-translational modification refers to chemical changes made to a protein after it has been synthesized. These modifications, such as phosphorylation adding a phosphate group or glycosylation adding sugar chains, can dramatically alter how the protein behaves—its activity, where it localizes in the cell, how long it remains before degradation, and which other molecules it can interact with. This enables the cell to regulate protein function quickly without making new proteins from scratch. The other statements describe steps before or outside this post-translation process: translating mRNA into a protein, packaging DNA into chromatin, and removing introns from pre-mRNA.