Is ASBT mRNA distribution across segments in control dogs concordant with protein distribution?

• A. Yes
• B. Partially
• C. No
• D. Not assessed

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that mRNA levels do not always predict where a protein ends up or how abundant it is in a specific tissue region. Many steps separate transcription from the functional protein: mRNA stability and translation efficiency can vary across segments, and after translation the protein may be trafficked to particular cellular compartments, modified, or degraded at different rates. For ASBT, the protein is localized to the apical membrane of ileal enterocytes and its abundance reflects trafficking and membrane targeting as well as turnover, not just mRNA presence. In control dogs, this can mean the mRNA distribution across intestinal segments does not match the protein distribution, leading to discordance. That’s why the best answer is that they are not concordant. The other options imply a perfect match, a partial match, or no data, which don’t fit the observation of differing mRNA and protein patterns.