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Feeding experiment and biochemical pathway. a) From a mutagenesis screen, five m

ID: 195353 • Letter: F

Question

Feeding experiment and biochemical pathway.

a) From a mutagenesis screen, five mutants (named c9, c10, c14, c18, c21) were identified and they each were found to mutate a different gene. Feeding experiments were done by growing each mutant on minimal medium supplemented by four different known precursors of cytosine (A-D). The results are summarized in the table (+: growth; -: no growth):

Precursor/product

Mutant

A

B

C

D

Cytosine

c9

-

+

+

-

+

c10

-

-

+

-

+

c14

+

+

+

-

+

c18

+

+

+

+

+

c21

-

-

-

-

+

Show a simple linear biochemical pathway of the four precursors and the end product (cytosine). Indicate which step is blocked by each of the five mutations.

(b). What precursor would accumulate in the following double mutants:

c9, c10:               

c10, c21:

Precursor/product

Mutant

A

B

C

D

Cytosine

c9

-

+

+

-

+

c10

-

-

+

-

+

c14

+

+

+

-

+

c18

+

+

+

+

+

c21

-

-

-

-

+

Explanation / Answer

A) c18   c14   c9   c10   c21

__D__B__A__C__cytosine

B) What precursor would accumulate in the following double mutants:

c9, c10: B

c10, c14: D