Question

A researcher wishes to generate a yeast mutant in which the microtubules are destabilized due to an enzymatic deficiency. Which of the following genes would represent the best target for this mutation experiment?

A. G-actin
B. α-tubulin
C. β-tubulin
D. Tau

Answer 1

To create a yeast mutant with unstable microtubules, targeting the α-tubulin or β-tubulin gene is most fitting, as they are essential components of microtubules.

Step-by-step explanation:

To generate a yeast mutant with destabilized microtubules due to enzyme deficiency, targeting the genes responsible for tubulin, which are α-tubulin or β-tubulin, would be the most appropriate. These proteins are the main constituents of microtubules, which are critical for cell structure and function. A mutation in either α-tubulin (option B) or β-tubulin (option C) is likely to lead to microtubule destabilization because tubulin dimers made up of α- and β-tubulin are the building blocks of microtubules. On the contrary, G-actin (option A) is a component of microfilaments and tau (option D) is a microtubule-associated protein that stabilizes microtubules in neurons, thus less relevant to the specific purpose of destabilizing microtubules in a yeast model.