High School

The enzyme that catalyzes the initial processing of miRNAs in the nucleus is:

A. Drosha
B. Dicer
C. Argonaute
D. RNase A

Answer :

Final answer:

Drosha is the enzyme that catalyzes the initial processing of miRNAs in the nucleus.

Explanation:

The enzyme that catalyzes the initial processing of miRNAs in the nucleus is Drosha. MiRNAs are small (~23 nt) RNA molecules that control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are synthesized from hairpin precursors and processed by two duplex-specific endonucleases, Drosha and Dicer. Drosha catalyzes the cleavage of the primary miRNA transcript, while Dicer is responsible for the production of mature miRNAs.