Question

What would be the results of the experiment in Problem 53 if the radioactive AMP were added to the incubation mixture instead of radioactive pyrophosphate?

Short answer

The answer is,

If the radioactive AMP is added to the reaction mixture, the results will be the opposite.

Step-by-step solution

Explanation

The experiments can be conducted using radioactive labelling. The AMP is the Adenosine monophosphate. It is also known as the 5’- adenylic acid. It consists of a phosphate group, ribose sugar, and adenine and can be labelled using radioactive phosphorous.

Explanation

If the radioactive AMP is added to the reaction mixture, the results will be the opposite. If the mechanism involves an attack on the alpha-phosphorous, ATP will not become radioactive, because AMP is not a reactant in the reverse reaction that forms ATP. If the mechanism involves an attack on the beta-phosphorous, ATP will become radioactive, because AMP is a reactant in the reverse reaction that forms ATP.