The mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines is identical to the viral spike protein’s mRNA, minus a few minor differences. For 10 points each:
[10e] To limit immunogenicity, Pfizer and Moderna replaced every instance of this pyrimidine, the only nucleotide unique to RNA, with its pseudo derivative.
ANSWER: uracil [or uridine; or U]
[10m] To permit translation, the vaccine’s mRNA is modified with a five-prime cap and, at the three-prime end, with this RNA sequence comprising thirty-ish copies of a single nucleotide.
ANSWER: poly(A) (“poly A”) tail [or poly-adenine tail or poly-adenylated tail; prompt on tail; prompt on A or adenine]
[10h] Two codons for this amino acid were added to stabilize the translated vaccine spike protein in its prefusion configuration. This amino acid makes proteins rigid because its side chain bridges the alpha carbon and the amino nitrogen.
ANSWER: proline [or P; or Pro]
<Adam Silverman, Science - Biology> ~20372~ <Editor: Adam Silverman>