Question

You believe a bacterium is attaching to animal cells by binding to the carbohydrate portion of a specific glycoprotein. To test this hypothesis you pre-incubate the bacteria with various molecules and then test for inhibition of attachment to the animal cells. Which result supports the hypothesis that the bacteria recognize the carbohydrate component of the animal glycoprotein? See Section 5.3 (Page 114) . Pretreatment with the protein component alone prevents bacteria attachment to the animal cells. Pretreatment with the entire glycoprotein prevents bacteria attachment to the animal cells. Pretreatment with the entire glycoprotein allows bacteria attachment to the animal cells. Pretreatment with the carbohydrate component alone prevents bacteria attachment to the animal cells.

Answer 1

protein component alone prevents bacteria attachment to the animal cells

Answer 2

Pretreatment with the protein component alone prevents bacteria attachment to the animal cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The animal glycoprotein has two distinct parts: (1) protein and (2) carbohydrate.

We believe that the given bacteria is binding to carbohydrate portion not protein portion of this glycoprotein and want to prove this fact.

If we want to prove that the bacteria binds to only the carbohydrate part of the glycoprotein we can treat the bacteria with the protein part of the glycoprotein alone. If the bacteria is unable to bind to protein component then it simply proves that the bacteria does not interact with the animal glycoprotein through protein part. It simply means that it is only carbohydrate part through which bacteria will interact with the glycoprotein.