The human gene for a protein hormone has been isolated.Scientists want to introduce this gene into a bacterial host, modifying the bacteria so that it can be used to produce this hormone.After successfully introducing the gene on a plasmid, the bacteria produced the protein hormone, but the protein was defective, longer than normal, with intervening stretches of amino acids not found in the native protein.Which solution would be most likely to resolve this problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The defective protein suggests that there may have been errors in the splicing of the mRNA transcript. By introducing a complementary DNA (cDNA) copy of the gene, which lacks introns, the chances of error during mRNA splicing would be minimized, leading to the production of a correctly sized protein hormone. Options A and B would not correct the underlying issue with the mRNA splicing. Option D would not work because introducing human mRNA into a bacterial host would not allow for proper translation due to differences in codons used by bacteria and humans.

The Human Gene for a Protein Hormone Has Been Isolated