how the exposure to an antibiotic can turn on the expression of genes?
Posted on March 23rd, 2009 in Antibiotics
Sergio asked:
It has been found that exposure to an antibiotic can turn on the expression of genes involved in resistance to that antibiotic.
1. What are two different ways that bacteria might respond to this drug at the level of gene expression so that the y can resist its action?
2. What is one possible action the protein(s) coded by these genes might take?
It has been found that exposure to an antibiotic can turn on the expression of genes involved in resistance to that antibiotic.
1. What are two different ways that bacteria might respond to this drug at the level of gene expression so that the y can resist its action?
2. What is one possible action the protein(s) coded by these genes might take?
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Tags: Gene Expression, Protein
This post has one comment
March 26th, 2009
1) Two different regulation schemes. One would be positive regulation. The molecule (this case the antibiotic) binds to a another molecule, a repressor, which is bound upstream of a gene’s start site. After binding the antibiotic the repressor releases the DNA and the gene is turned on. This is an inducible system. Another inducible scheme could be that the antibiotic triggers secondary meesenger release which have some regulation over the resitance gene. This is essentially the same thing, just with different molecules acting on the DNA.
2) Probably inhibition or degradation molecules. The encoded protein could compete to bind with the antibiotic rendering it unable to bind its true target. Or the encoded molcule could act as a degradtion signal for the antibiotic. Either destroying the molecule itself, or more likely, “tagging” the antibiotic to be destroyed by another molecule.
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