Question

If a viral gene prevents peptidoglycan units from being linked to lipid carriers, what will happen to the bacterial cell?

1) The cell wall with become stronger leading to virus to enter the lysogenic cycle.
2) The cell wall will weaken, eventually leading to cell lysis.
3) The bacterial cell will start to take on the properties of a Gram Negative cell.
4) Lipid metabolism will become impaired.

Answer 1

The correct answer is that the bacterial cell wall will weaken and ultimately lead to cell lysis due to the viral gene preventing the linking of peptidoglycan units to lipid carriers, a crucial step in cell wall synthesis.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a viral gene prevents peptidoglycan units from being linked to lipid carriers, the bacterial cell's cell wall will weaken, eventually leading to cell lysis. This is because peptidoglycan is crucial for maintaining the strength and integrity of the bacterial cell wall, and interference with its synthesis, as is often the strategy of certain antibacterial drugs, makes the cells more susceptible to the effects of osmotic pressure. Without the proper formation of peptidoglycan, the cell wall cannot perform its function of preventing osmotic lysis, and as a consequence, the cell will ultimately undergo lysis. This is consistent with how bacteriophages, in their lytic cycle, produce enzymes that degrade the bacterial cell wall to release newly formed viral particles. Thus, the correct answer to the question is 2) the cell wall will weaken, eventually leading to cell lysis.