What does wobble base pairing describe in translation?

• A. Canonical base pairing at all positions
• B. Cap-binding
• C. Wobble allows non-Watson-Crick pairing at the third codon position; e.g., inosine in anticodon pairs with A, U, or C
• D. Splicing

Answer: (C)

Wobble base pairing describes the flexibility at the third position of the codon during translation. The tRNA anticodon doesn’t have to form strict Watson-Crick pairs with the codon at that spot, which lets a single tRNA recognize multiple codons that code for the same amino acid. A classic example is inosine in the anticodon, which can pair with A, U, or C in the codon’s third position. This non-Watson-Crick pairing at the wobble position explains why the genetic code is degenerate and helps translation run efficiently with fewer tRNA species. The other options refer to unrelated processes: cap-binding involves recognizing the mRNA 5' cap, and splicing is intron removal; insisting on canonical base pairing at all positions would ignore this natural flexibility.