Eukayotic mRNA molecules are monocistronic, containing the coding sequence only
for one polypeptide.
In prokaryotes individual bacterial mRNA molecules are polycistronic having transcripts of several genes of a particular metabolic pathway.
Polycistronic mRNA
1. Contains codons of a more than one cistron.
2. Codes only for more than one protein.
3. Is transcribed from a more than one gene (cistron) and has as many as initiation and termination codons.
4. Present in prokaryotes.
Monocistronic mRNA
1. Contains codons of a single cistron.
2. Codes only for a single protein.
3. Is transcribed from a single gene (cistron) and has one initiation and termination codon.
4. Present in eukaryotes.
In prokaryotes individual bacterial mRNA molecules are polycistronic having transcripts of several genes of a particular metabolic pathway.
Polycistronic mRNA vs Monocistronic mRNA
Polycistronic mRNA
1. Contains codons of a more than one cistron.
2. Codes only for more than one protein.
3. Is transcribed from a more than one gene (cistron) and has as many as initiation and termination codons.
4. Present in prokaryotes.
Monocistronic mRNA
2. Codes only for a single protein.
3. Is transcribed from a single gene (cistron) and has one initiation and termination codon.
4. Present in eukaryotes.