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Beadle and Tatum designed experiments to test how ______ required for the biosynthesis of methionine are controlled by genes.

User MooingRawr
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Final answer:

Beadle and Tatum's experiments led to the conclusion that each gene controlled the production of a specific enzyme necessary for the biosynthesis of amino acids such as methionine and that this relationship is explored through modern genomic technologies.

Step-by-step explanation:

Beadle and Tatum's experiments were pivotal in demonstrating how specific enzymes required for the biosynthesis of methionine are controlled by genes. By irradiating mold spores and observing their growth on different media, they identified mutants that required supplements to grow, such as the amino acid arginine.

Through their work with Neurospora crassa, they proposed the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, asserting that each gene was responsible for encoding a specific enzyme. Further investigative methods such as RNA-seq and mass spectrometry continue to elucidate gene expression and protein function, highlighting the intricate regulation mechanisms for ensuring proper protein synthesis and function within an organism.

User JC Sama
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3 votes

Final answer:

Beadle and Tatum used Neurospora crassa to show that enzymes required for methionine biosynthesis are genetically controlled, leading to the one gene-one enzyme hypothesis.

Step-by-step explanation:

Beadle and Tatum designed experiments to test how enzymes required for the biosynthesis of methionine are controlled by genes.

Their pioneering work with the red bread mold, Neurospora crassa, involved irradiating mold spores to induce mutations and studying their growth on different media.

They isolated mutants that required specific supplements to grow, leading to the groundbreaking one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, which proposed that each gene encodes a specific enzyme involved in metabolic pathways such as the biosynthesis of amino acids like arginine and methionine.