BIS101002&003

Answers to Assigned Problems

May 16, 2016

Week 8
Study Questions from the textbook:
6th Edition: Chapter 18- 18.3, 18.4, 18.5, 18.6, 18.8, 18.9, 18.10, 18.15, 18.16
OR
7th Edition: Chapter 17- 17.3, 17.4, 17.5, 17.6, 17.8, 17.9, 17.10, 17.15, 17.16

18.3/17.3
In the lactose operon of E. coli, what is the function of each of the following genes or
sites: (a) regulator, (b) operator, (c) promoter, (d) structural gene Z, and (e) structural gene Y?
ANS:
Gene or Regulatory Element
(a) Regulator gene
(b) Operator
(c) Promoter
(d) Structural gene Z
(e) Structural gene Y

Function
Encodes the repressor
Binding site of repressor
Binding site of RNA polymerase and CAP-cAMP complex
Encodes -galactosidase
Encodes -galactoside permease

18.4/17.4
What would be the result of inactivation by mutation of the following genes or sites in
the E. coli lactose operon: (a) regulator, (b) operator, (c) promoter, (d) structural gene Z, and (e)
structural gene Y?
ANS: (a) Constitutive synthesis of the lac enzymes.
(b) Constitutive synthesis of the lac enzymes.
(c) Uninducibility of the lac enzymes.
(d) No -galactosidase activity.
(e) No -galactoside permease activity.

18.5/17.5
Groups of alleles associated with the lactose operon are as follows (in order of
dominance for each allelic series): repressor, Is (superrepressor), I+ (inducible), and I (constitutive);
operator, Oc (constitutive, cis dominant) and O+ (inducible, cis-dominant); structural, Z+ and Y+. (a)
Which of the following genotypes will produce -galactosidase and -galactoside permease if lactose
is present: (1) I+O+Z+Y+, (2) I OcZ+Y+, (3) IsOcZ+Y+, (4) IsO+Z+Y+, and (5) I O+Z+Y+? (b) Which of the
above genotypes will produce -galactosidase and -galactoside permease if lactose is absent? Why?

ANS: (a) 1, 2, 3, and 5. Genotype 1 is wild type and inducible, whereas genotypes 2, 3, and 5 are
constitutive; all except 4 will produce -galactosidase and -galactoside permease in the presence of
lactose. However, genotype 4 has a superrepressor mutation (Is) and is uninducible with normal levels
of lactose. (b) 2, 3, and 5. In genotypes, 2 and 3, the repressor cannot bind to Oc and in genotype 5, no
repressor is made; both situations render the operon constituitve.

BIS101002&003

Answers to Assigned Problems

May 16, 2016

18.6/17.6 Assume that you have discovered a new strain of E. coli that has a mutation in the lac
operator region that causes the wild-type repressor protein to bind irreversibly to the operator. You
have named this operator mutant Osb for superbinding operator. (a) What phenotype would a partial
diploid of genotype I+OsbZY+/I+O+Z+Y have with respect to the synthesis of the enzymes galactosidase and -galactoside permease? (b) Does your new Osb mutation exhibit cis or trans
dominance in its effects on the regulation of the lac operon?
ANS: (a) -Galactosidase will be produced only when lactose is present. Permease will not be
produced at all. (b) cis dominance.

18.8/17.8
For each of the following partial diploids indicate whether enzyme synthesis is
constitutive or inducible (see Problem 18.5 for dominance relationships):
(a)
I+O+Z+Y+/I+O+Z+Y+,
(b)
I+O+Z+Y+/I+OcZ+Y+,
(c)
I+OcZ+Y+/I+OcZ+Y+,
(d)
I+O+Z+Y+/I O+Z+Y+,
(e)
I O+Z+Y+/I O+Z+Y+. Why?

ANS: (a) Inducible, this is the wild-type genotype and phenotype.

(b) Constitutive, the Oc mutation produces an operator that is not recognized by the lac repressor.
(c) Constitutive, same as for (b).
(d) Inducible, I+ is dominant to I-.
(e) Constitutive, no active repressor is synthesized in this bacterium.

18.9/17.9
Write the partial diploid genotype for a strain that will (a) produce -galactosidase
constitutively and permease inducibly and (b) produce -galactosidase constitutively but not permease
either constitutively or inducibly, even though a Y+ gene is known to be present.
ANS: (a) I+OcZ+Y-/I+O+Z+Y+ (b) I+OcZ+Y-/IsO+Z+Y+

18.10/17.10 As a genetics historian, you are repeating some of the classic experiments conducted by
Jacob and Monod with the lactose operon in E. coli. You use an F plasmid to construct several E. coli
strains that are partially diploid for the lac operon. You construct strains with the following genotypes:
(1) I+OcZ+Y /I+O+Z Y+, (2) I+OcZ Y+/I+O+Z+Y , (3) I O+Z+Y+/I+O+Z Y , (4) IsO+Z Y /I+O+Z+Y+, and (5)
I+OcZ+Y+/IsO+Z Y+. (a) Which of these strains will produce functional -galactosidase in both the
presence and absence of lactose? (b) Which of these strains will exhibit constitutive synthesis of
functional -galactoside permease? (c) Which of these strains will express both gene Z and gene Y
constitutively and will produce functional products (-galactosidase and -galactoside permease) of
both genes? (d) Which of these strains will show cis dominance of lac operon regulatory elements? (e)
Which of these strains will exhibit trans dominance of lac operon regulatory elements?

ANS: (a) 1, 5.
(b) 2, 5.
(c) 5.
(d) 1, 2, 5.
(e) 3, 4

BIS101002&003

Answers to Assigned Problems

May 16, 2016

18.15/17.15 Is the CAPcAMP effect on the transcription of the lac operon an example of positive
or negative regulation? Why?
ANS: Positive regulation; the CAP-cAMP complex has a positive effect on the expression of the lac
operon. It functions in turning on the transcription of the structural genes in the operon.

18.16/17.16 Would it be possible to isolate E. coli mutants in which the transcription of the lac
operon is not sensitive to catabolite repression? If so, in what genes might the mutations be located?
ANS: Yes; in the gene encoding CAP. Some mutations in this gene might result in a CAP that binds
to the promoter in the absence of cAMP. Also, mutations in the gene (or genes) coding for the protein
(or proteins) that regulate the cAMP level as a function of glucose concentration.