Question

The stability of a microtubule can be evaluated using a procedure known as FRAP. Using this procedure at different stages of the cell cycle, the results shown in the figure were obtained. The principle underlying how FRAP gives rise to these results is:

a. Interphase microtubules have a much faster turnover rate so that the bleached tubulin subunits are replaced with unbleached subunits ...
b. Metaphase microtubules fluoresce more brightly than interphase microtubules
c. Metaphase microtubules cannot be disassembled so they are almost laways at 100% fluorescence
d. Interphase microtubules have a different structure than metaphase microtubules and so cannot be labeled as intensely.
e. Metaphase microtubules have a much faster turnover rate so that the bleached tubulin subunits are replaced with unbleached subunits more quickly than interphase microtubules

Answer 1

The principle underlying FRAP results is that a) interphase microtubules have a faster turnover rate, replacing bleached tubulin subunits with unbleached subunits.

Step-by-step explanation:

The principle underlying how FRAP gives rise to these results is: a. Interphase microtubules have a much faster turnover rate so that the bleached tubulin subunits are replaced with unbleached subunits. FRAP stands for Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching, and it is a technique used to evaluate the stability of microtubules.

In this procedure, a fluorescent protein is bleached, or inactivated, in a specific region of the microtubule, and then the recovery of fluorescence in that region over time is measured.