Question

The model shows a metabolic pathway in a bacterium. how would you modify the genome of the bacterium to maximize the production of molecule y?

Remove the gene for enzyme 3 Remove the genes for enzymes 2 and 3 Remove the gene for enzyme 1
Remove the gene for enzyme 2

Answer 1

To maximize the production of molecule Y in the metabolic pathway of a bacterium, one possible modification to its genome is to remove the gene for enzyme 3. This would prevent the conversion of molecule Y into molecule Z, allowing more of Y to accumulate in the cell.

Alternatively, removing the genes for enzymes 2 and 3 would also have the same effect. Without enzyme 2, molecule X cannot be converted into molecule Y, and without enzyme 3, molecule Y cannot be converted into molecule Z. Therefore, both pathways leading away from molecule Y would be blocked, resulting in increased accumulation of Y.

Removing the gene for enzyme 1, on the other hand, would prevent the formation of molecule X, which is a precursor for molecule Y. As a result, removing enzyme 1 would actually decrease the production of molecule Y.

Removing the gene for enzyme 2 alone would also not maximize the production of molecule Y since it is an intermediate in the pathway and does not directly affect the production of Y.