Microbiology: An Evolving Science (Fourth Edition)
4th Edition
ISBN: 9780393615098
Author: John W. Foster, Joan L. Slonczewski
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
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Chapter 12, Problem 3TQ
Summary Introduction
To review:
The effect of the following conditions: when the strain is grown in lactose, the strain is grown without lactose, the lacI gene is deleted, and the lac operator is eliminated.
Introduction:
Lac operon is required for the transport and metabolism of lactose. In the absence of glucose, it allows for the effective digestion of lactose. They are used in several bacterial-based selection techniques as a reporter gene. Lac operon is regarded to be the first genetic regulatory mechanism and also an example of prokaryotic gene regulation.
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A lac operon containing one mutation was cloned into a plasmid, which was introduced by transformation into a bacterium containing a wild-type lac operon. The three genes of the chromosomal operon were rendered noninducible in the presence of the plasmid. (a) What kind of mutation in the plasmid operon could have this effect? (b) Suppose the result of transformation was to cause the three plasmid lac genes to be expressed constitutively, at a high level. What type of plasmid gene mutation could have this result?
1.
a) If glucose is not available and lactose is absent from the environment, what is the status of transcription of the lac operon genes? Explain your answer from both an evolutionary perspective and in terms of negative and positive regulation of the operon?
b)If glucose is not available, but lactose is available from the environment, what is the status of transcription of the lac operon genes? Explain your answer from both an evolutionary perspective and in terms of negative and positive regulation of the operon?
b)
Let’s suppose you have isolated a mutant strain of E. coli in which the lac operon is constitutively expressed. In other words, the operon is turned on in the presence or absence of lactose. One possibility is that the mutation may block the transcription of the lacI gene, thereby preventing the synthesis of lac repressor. A second possibility is that the mutation could alter the sequence of the lac operon in a way that prevents the repressor protein from binding to the operator. How would you distinguish between these two possibilities?
Chapter 12 Solutions
Microbiology: An Evolving Science (Fourth Edition)
Ch. 12.1 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12.1 - Prob. 2TQCh. 12.1 - Prob. 3TQCh. 12.1 - Prob. 4TQCh. 12.2 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12.2 - Prob. 2TQCh. 12.2 - Prob. 3TQCh. 12.3 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12.4 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12.4 - Prob. 2TQ
Ch. 12.5 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12 - Prob. 1RQCh. 12 - Prob. 2RQCh. 12 - Prob. 3RQCh. 12 - Prob. 4RQCh. 12 - Prob. 5RQCh. 12 - Prob. 6RQCh. 12 - Prob. 7RQCh. 12 - Prob. 8RQCh. 12 - Prob. 9RQCh. 12 - Prob. 10RQCh. 12 - Prob. 11RQCh. 12 - Prob. 12RQCh. 12 - Prob. 13RQCh. 12 - Prob. 14RQCh. 12 - Prob. 15RQCh. 12 - Prob. 1TQCh. 12 - Prob. 2TQCh. 12 - Prob. 3TQ
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- Given the Table below concerning the lac operon, match the letter with what would be occurring for each scenario. Repressor is bound to the operator, cAMP complex is bound and transcription is prevented. Allolactose is bound to the repressor, cAMP complex is bound, and transcription is prevalent. Allolactose is bound to the repressor, cAMP complex is not assembled, and transcription is slow Repressor is bound to the operator, cAMP complex is not assembled, and transcription is prevented.arrow_forwardLet’s suppose you have isolated a mutant strain of E. coli in which the lac operon is constitutively expressed. In other words, the operon is turned on in the presence or absence of lactose. One possibility is that the mutation mayblock the transcription of the lacI gene, thereby preventing the synthesis of lac repressor. A second possibility is that the mutation could alter the sequence of the lac operator in a way that prevents lac repressor from binding to the operator. How would you distinguish between these two possibilities?arrow_forwardWhich of the following describes the lac operon in E. coli when lactose and glucose is present in the culture medium? Select one: a. CAP inactive and RNA polymerase does not completely bind to the promoter of the lac operon and transcription of lactose-metabolizing enzymes decreases. b. CAP is active and RNA polymerase binds completely to the promoter of the lac operon and transcription of lactose-metabolizing enzymes decreases. c. Catabolite activator protein (CAP) inactive and RNA polymerase does not completely bind to the promoter of the lac operon and transcription of lactose-metabolizing enzymes increases. d. CAP is active and RNA polymerase binds completely to the promoter of the lac operon and transcription of lactose-metabolizing enzymes increases.arrow_forward
- The following shows the genotype of a partial diploid bacterial cell - where one chromosomal region containing the lac operon in E,coli is given, and the other fragment is from a plasmid carrying another lac operon from another source. The two are separated by a slash (/). The possible answers indicate with a ʺ+ʺ or a ʺ-ʺ whether β-galactosidase would be expected to be produced at induced levels under two circumstances: 1) first in the absence of lactose and 2) second in the presence of lactose. (Assume that glucose is not present in the medium.)Genotype F: I+ Oc Z-/ Fʹ I- O+ Z+ KEY:I+ = wild-type repressorI- = mutant repressor (unable to bind to the operator)Is = mutant repressor (insensitive to lactose)O+ = wild-type operatorOc = constitutive operator (insensitive to repressor)arrow_forwardA strain of E. coli has the genotypes shown below at the lac operon, where I = regulator gene, P = promoter, O = operator, Z = βgalactosidase gene, and Y = permease gene. The superscript+ indicates a wild-type allele,c indicates a constitutive mutation, and− indicates a defective mutation. For each genotype, indicate whether the enzyme will be synthesized or not synthesized when lactose is present or absent by placing a + for synthesis occurring and a − for synthesis not occurring in the appropriate blank. Explain your reasoning for each answer.arrow_forwardIf glucose is not available, but lactose is available from the environment, what is the status of transcription of the lac operon genes? Explain your answer from both an evolutionary perspective and in terms of negative and positive regulation of the operon?arrow_forward
- Given the following genotypes, explain, by answering the questions in each number, how the mutation (identified by a (-) superscript) will affect E. coli grown in lactose medium. Will there be a complete set ofgene products? (Yes/No) Will the lac operon be turnedon/off? Will the cell survive? (Yes/No) a. i + p + o + z - y + b. i + p - o + z + y + c. i + p + o - z + y +arrow_forwardIf glucose levels in the cell are high and lactose is available from the environment, what is the status of transcription of the lac operon genes? Explain your answer from both an evolutionary perspective and in terms of negative and positive regulation of the operon?arrow_forwardA mutation occurs in the 5′ UTR of the trp operon that reduces the ability of region 2 to pair with region 3. What will the effect of this mutation be when the tryptophan level is high? When the tryptophan level is low?arrow_forward
- Imagine that a new strain of E. coli is discovered, and it contains the following novel genetic region including the lacI gene and the lac operon: *see image* Upstream of the promoter associated with the lac operon, there is a new operator element "Oν" (O-"nu"). This new operator has high sequence homology to O1, the DNA element that is bound with the highest affinity by the lac repressor. What would be the impact of this new genetic element regarding behavior of the operonin the absence (vs. the presence) of lactose and allolactose? Answer in terms of the protein levels of the lac repressor, as well as the proteins encoded by the genes lacZ/Y/A in the downstream region of the operon. Remember that proteins, once expressed/generated, will not persist forever, and that they have a natural lifetime (ending when they are degraded by the cell).arrow_forwardThe lac operon produces enzymes that allow the bacteria E. coli to metabolize lactose, it is in an inducable operon. When lactose is present, will the repressor protein attach or leave the operon? How would this effect the production of lactose producing enzymes?arrow_forwardHow would each manipulation of the leader region of the trp mRNA affect transcription of the E. coli trp operon? 1. Increasing the distance (number of bases) between the leader peptide gene and sequence 2 would ___________________ transcriptional attenuation of the trp operon. (increase/decrease/not change) 2. Increasing the distance between sequences 2 and 3 would ____________________ transcriptional attenuation of the trp operon. (increase/decrease/not change) 3. Removing sequence 4 would ________________ transcriptional attenuation of the trp operon. (cause/not change/prevent) 4. Changing the two Trp codons in the leader peptide gene to His codons would cause transcriptional attenuation of the trp operon to ____________________. (lose its sensitivity to histidine/increase its sensitivity to tryptophan/lose its sensitivity to tryptophan) 5. Eliminating the ribosome‑binding site for the gene that encodes the leader peptide would cause transcriptional attenuation of the trp operon to…arrow_forward
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