Question

A scientist wishes to develop an antimicrobial agent that specifically targets replication elongation in Escherichia coli without interfering with proteins that catalyze other replication processes. Which of the following experimental designs is most appropriate for the scientist to explore?

1) Develop a molecule that interferes with the DNA-binding ability of DNA polymerase III core enzyme.
2) Modify an existing antibiotic to act as a competitive inhibitor of DNA polymerase I.
3) Design a drug that modifies the structural configuration of DNA at the oriC locus.
4) Create a novel protein that acts as a competitive inhibitor of the DNA ligase binding site.

Answer 1

The most appropriate experimental design to develop an antimicrobial agent that targets replication elongation in Escherichia coli is to develop a molecule that interferes with the DNA-binding ability of the DNA polymerase III core enzyme.

Step-by-step explanation:

To develop an antimicrobial agent that specifically targets replication elongation in Escherichia coli without interfering with other replication processes, the most appropriate experimental design would be to develop a molecule that interferes with the DNA-binding ability of the DNA polymerase III core enzyme.