A bacterium that has the CRISPR-CAS9 system has a CAS9 that has much reduced activity.What is the most likely result?
A) The bacterium will be able to recognize viruses but will be unable to cut them.
B) The bacterium will be unable to recognize particular viruses.
C) The bacterium will cut its own DNA inappropriately.
D) The bacterium will overexpress particular genes.
E) The bacterium will underexpress particular genes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The CAS9 protein is responsible for recognizing the viral DNA and cutting it. If the CAS9 has much reduced activity, it means that it can still recognize the viral DNA but may not be as effective in cutting it. Therefore, the bacterium will be able to recognize viruses but will be unable to cut them effectively.

A Bacterium That Has the CRISPR-CAS9 System Has a CAS9