12 Questions
What is the main function of the lac operon in E. coli and other enteric bacteria?
Transport and metabolism of lactose
What is the role of beta-galactosidase in the lac operon?
Digestion of lactose
Why is the lac operon often discussed in introductory molecular and cellular biology classes?
Due to its role in gene regulation
What did François Jacob and Jacques Monod use the lactose metabolism system for?
To determine how a biological cell knows which enzyme to synthesize
At what level does gene regulation by lac operon occur in bacterial cells including E. coli?
Transcriptional level
What type of transcripts are bacterial operons like the lac operon able to produce?
Polycistronic transcripts
What is the function of the gene product of lacZ?
Cleaves lactose into glucose and galactose
What is the function of the gene product of lacY?
Transports lactose into the cell
What is the function of the gene product of lacA?
Transfers an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to thiogal
What is the role of lacI in the absence of lactose?
Halts production of enzymes and transport proteins
What happens when lactose is available but not glucose?
Lac operon is expressed
What effect does the presence of glucose have on the lac operon?
Enzymes encoded by lacZ and lacA are repressed
Learn about the lactose operon, an important genetic regulatory mechanism in E. coli and other enteric bacteria, which allows for the digestion of lactose when glucose is not available. Understand the role of beta-galactosidase and gene regulation in the metabolism of lactose.
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