Some years ago, it was suggested that the function of the poly(a) tail on a eukaryotic message may be to "ticket the message. that is, each time the message is used, one or more residues is removed, and the message is degraded after the tail is shortened below a critical length. suggest an experiment to test this hypothesis match the words in the left column to the appropriate blanks in the sentences on the right. reset investigating of localization rna with one such test could involve if the "ticketing" hypothesis is correct, then different in length polyshorter poly(a) tails would be underrepresented. the main point of the "ticketing' (a) tails in the cell hypothesis is that poly(a) shortening occurs as a result of translation of the investigating the fate mssage. one might test this by measuring poly(a) tail length as a function of and lifetime of rna with elongated poly(a) tail or as a function of over action of poly(a) polymerase limiting amino acids supplied to an auxotroph the addition of antibiotics that slow down translation poly (a) tail "ticketing" role measuring the distribution of poly(a) chain lengths in bulk mrna