I am enrolled in a biology 101 course, and our teacher brought up some thinking

Question

I am enrolled in a biology 101 course, and our teacher brought up some thinking questions regarding biochemistry. I would appreciate a step-by-step approach to the following problem.

Study Question of K DNA-binding protein bound to DNA: | K. - D - 10 M [P] [D] = 10-10 M for a typical DNA- binding protein The volume of a bacterial cell = 1.5 X 10-15 L Avogadro's Constant = 6 X 1023 mol-1 DE A bacterial cell contains 1 molecule of DNA (circular chromosome) If the cell contains 10 molecules of the DNA- binding protein, what proportion of the time (or, equivalently, in what proportion of cells) will the DNA be bound by this protein?

Explanation / Answer

Dissociation constant (Kd) is a specific type of equilirium constant that measures the propensity of larger object to seperate(dissociate) reversibly into smaller components. The disassociation constant has Molar unit., i.e number of moles per litre.

Kd = [P] [D]/ [PD] -> (1)

but Kd = 10^-10 M ; If DNA binding protein [P] = 10 molecules. Also, one bacterial cell contains 1 circular DNA.

Hence, using equation 1 : [PD] = 1 x 10^ 11

There for no of DNA bound molecules in bacterial cell = 1 x 10^11

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