To fight a multi-drug resistant bacterium you develop a synthetic gene that is s
ID: 62732 • Letter: T
Question
To fight a multi-drug resistant bacterium you develop a synthetic gene that is specifically incorporated into the bac-
terial genome. It codes for an altered tRNA molecule that, after being transcribed and folded, is always charged with
the wrong amino acid. Explain how this experimental treatment affects proteins in the bacterium and explain how
the bacterium may be affected by these changes. Underline the following words/terms in your answer: anticodon,
ribosome, mutation, and polypeptide chain. Make sure that your answer is complete and cohesive, and that your
line of thought is clearly explained. Include 1 figure as illustration.
Explanation / Answer
tRNA charged with wrong amino acid results in the production of different protein for the same mRNA sequence. That means, codons on the mRNA are interpreted differently to give wrong amino acids. As the tRNAs have the same anticodons, bacterial ribosomes cannot differentiate between the wrongly charged amino acids with right ones. So, this kind of wrongly charged tRNAs results in the production of wrong polypeptide. Correct amino acid sequence is necessary for the synthesis of functionally active enzymes. So, bacteria with such a mutation cannot produce proper enzymes for its metabolism. Therefore, the bacteria eventually die due to lack of correctly synthesized enzymes.