Question

Knowing that the genetic code is almost universal, a scientist uses molecular biological methods to insert the human β-globin gene(shown in Figure17.12) into bacterial cells, hoping the cell will express it and synthesize functional β-globin protein. Instead, the protein produced is non-functional and contains fewer amino acids than does β-globin made by a eukaryotic cell. Explain why.

Short answer

Recombination is the technique that can help bacteria to produce recombinant protein. The transfer of β-globin into bacterial cells results in a non-functional protein. It is due to the incompetency in the prokaryotic cell to a larger amino acid sequence.

Step-by-step solution

Difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Prokaryotes are unicellular organisms that lack complex body organization. A eukaryotic organism has a complicated body organization. The protein and gene sequence produced by the eukaryotic organism contains larger sequences compared to the prokaryotic protein.

Recombinant technology

The gene isolated from a higher organism is incorporated into unicellular organisms such as prokaryotes. The eukaryotic product of interest is obtained from the prokaryotic cells via the process of recombination.

Beta globin proteins are non-functional in bacteria

Beta globulin proteins produced from the bacteria are non-functional.It is due to the difficulty in carrying out the post-translational modifications of the bacterial cell.The intron present in the eukaryotic mRNA will be much longer.

So the splicing of these intron regions becomes difficult for the bacterial cell. Finally, it results in the production of non-functional protein.