Question 1

Discuss possible disadvantages of the yeast two-hybrid system.

Accepted Answer

Because putative interacting proteins ar

Question 2

What is the purpose of directed evolution?

Accepted Answer

A)  To produce enzymes with an increased ability to catalyze particular reactions. 
B)  To obtain enzymes with higher affinity for their substrate(s). 
C)  To produce novel enzymes suitable for harsh biotechnological applications. 
D)  All of the above. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  To produce enzymes with an increased ability to catalyze particular reactions. 
B)  To obtain enzymes with higher affinity for their substrate(s). 
C)  To produce novel enzymes suitable for harsh biotechnological applications. 
D)  All of the above. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 3

Hybridization of a DNA probe with an RNA transcript bound to a membrane after transfer from a denaturing agarose gel is the basis for the method known as:

Accepted Answer

A)  Northern blot 
B)  Southern blot 
C)  Western blot 
D)  SDS-PAGE 
E)  isoelectrofocusing 
A)  Northern blot 
B)  Southern blot 
C)  Western blot 
D)  SDS-PAGE 
E)  isoelectrofocusing

Question 4

In the yeast two-hybrid analysis technique, in vivo protein-protein interactions are explored. The "bait" and "prey" proteins are translationally fused to the cleaved activation and DNA-binding domains of the GAL4 transcription factor. What is the target gene of GAL4?

Accepted Answer

A)  lacZ 
B)  gadA/B 
C)  gal1 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above 
A)  lacZ 
B)  gadA/B 
C)  gal1 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above

Question 5

Which of the following can be used as vectors in human gene therapy?

Accepted Answer

A)  bacteriophages 
B)  modified HIV and adenoviruses 
C)  filamentous phages 
D)  cosmids 
E)  modified mosaic tobacco virus 
A)  bacteriophages 
B)  modified HIV and adenoviruses 
C)  filamentous phages 
D)  cosmids 
E)  modified mosaic tobacco virus

Question 6

Once a gene encoding a putative transcriptional regulatory protein is identified by sequence annotation, what needs to be done to demonstrate this activity?

Accepted Answer

A transcriptional regulatory protein sho

Question 7

What are translational fusions used for? How are they constructed?

Accepted Answer

Translational fusions are designed to ex

Question 8

The colorless molecule o-nitrophenyl galactoside (ONPG) can be used as an artificial substrate in assays of $\beta$-gal in E. coli extracts. Which of the following statements is NOT true with respect to the use of ONPG?

Accepted Answer

A)  Hydrolysis of ONPG by $\beta$-gal produces yellow o-nitrophenol. 
B)  o-nitrophenol can be measured with a spectrophotometer. 
C)  Hydrolysis of ONPG by $\beta$-gal also releases colorless galactose. 
D)  The o-nitrophenol moiety is blue and more suitable for use in solid media. 
E)  None of the above. 
A)  Hydrolysis of ONPG by $\beta$-gal produces yellow o-nitrophenol. 
B)  o-nitrophenol can be measured with a spectrophotometer. 
C)  Hydrolysis of ONPG by $\beta$-gal also releases colorless galactose. 
D)  The o-nitrophenol moiety is blue and more suitable for use in solid media. 
E)  None of the above.

Question 9

Genes coding for insecticidal peptides have been engineered into the genomes of some crops. These peptides are naturally produced by the bacterium:

Accepted Answer

A)  Bacillus thuringiensis 
B)  Agrobacterium thumefaciens 
C)  Anabaena variabilis 
D)  Erwinia carotovora 
E)  Escherichia coli 
A)  Bacillus thuringiensis 
B)  Agrobacterium thumefaciens 
C)  Anabaena variabilis 
D)  Erwinia carotovora 
E)  Escherichia coli

Question 10

Which kind of phage vectors is most frequently used in phage display technology?

Accepted Answer

A)  T-odd 
B)  T-even 
C)  filamentous single-stranded DNA phages 
D)  lambda-based vectors 
E)  none of the above 
A)  T-odd 
B)  T-even 
C)  filamentous single-stranded DNA phages 
D)  lambda-based vectors 
E)  none of the above

Question 11

A common approach to study a certain metabolic process is to isolate organisms defective in that particular process. These organisms are called:

Accepted Answer

A)  mutants 
B)  wild-type 
C)  prototrophs 
D)  agents 
E)  vectors 
A)  mutants 
B)  wild-type 
C)  prototrophs 
D)  agents 
E)  vectors

Question 12

Screening food products for more than one pathogen at a time can be achieved by using:

Accepted Answer

A)  real-time PCR with a forward and reverse primer pair 
B)  multiplex PCR with carefully designed primer pairs targeting species-specific genes 
C)  multiplex PCR with random hexamers as primers 
D)  quantitative PCR with a universal forward/reverse primer pair 
E)  none of the above 
A)  real-time PCR with a forward and reverse primer pair 
B)  multiplex PCR with carefully designed primer pairs targeting species-specific genes 
C)  multiplex PCR with random hexamers as primers 
D)  quantitative PCR with a universal forward/reverse primer pair 
E)  none of the above

Question 13

What end of the reporter DNA probe is bound to the reporter dye in real-time PCR?

Accepted Answer

A)  5' 
B)  3' 
C)  amino terminal 
D)  carboxy terminal 
E)  none of the above 
A)  5' 
B)  3' 
C)  amino terminal 
D)  carboxy terminal 
E)  none of the above

Question 14

When designing the primer sets for multiplex PCR, what are some concerns?

Accepted Answer

The primer sets must not bind to each ot

Question 15

What kind of gene expression controls are revealed by operon fusions?

Accepted Answer

A)  transcriptional 
B)  translational 
C)  both transcriptional and translational 
D)  post-translational 
E)  none of the above 
A)  transcriptional 
B)  translational 
C)  both transcriptional and translational 
D)  post-translational 
E)  none of the above

Question 16

What type of reporter fusions can expose both transcriptional and translational controls?

Accepted Answer

A)  operon fusions 
B)  gene fusions 
C)  either operon fusions or gene fusions 
D)  any GFP construct 
E)  none of the above 
A)  operon fusions 
B)  gene fusions 
C)  either operon fusions or gene fusions 
D)  any GFP construct 
E)  none of the above

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of an alternative vaccine developed through biotechnology that does NOT involve the use of attenuated pathogens?

Accepted Answer

A)  injection of DNA that encodes bacterial or viral antigenic proteins into humans 
B)  bananas as an edible vaccine delivery system 
C)  production of vaccines in plants with further extraction and purification 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above 
A)  injection of DNA that encodes bacterial or viral antigenic proteins into humans 
B)  bananas as an edible vaccine delivery system 
C)  production of vaccines in plants with further extraction and purification 
D)  all of the above 
E)  none of the above

Question 18

What hybridization technique can be used to confirm if two genes are components of an operon by estimating transcript size?

Accepted Answer

A)  Northern blot 
B)  Southern blot 
C)  formaldehyde cross-linking 
D)  agarose gel electrophoresis 
E)  isoelectrofocusing 
A)  Northern blot 
B)  Southern blot 
C)  formaldehyde cross-linking 
D)  agarose gel electrophoresis 
E)  isoelectrofocusing

Question 19

What is the conceptual basis of the primer extension technique?

Accepted Answer

Given a translatable mRNA, the regions o

Question 20

The fluorescent proteins YFP and CFP emit yellow and blue (cyan) light, respectively. These and other variations of GFP have been obtained through:

Accepted Answer

A)  the chemical addition of yellow or blue fluorescent dyes to GFP 
B)  mutation of the gfp gene in specific sites 
C)  post-translational modifications of recombinant GFP 
D)  cloning gfp in different vectors 
E)  none of the above 
A)  the chemical addition of yellow or blue fluorescent dyes to GFP 
B)  mutation of the gfp gene in specific sites 
C)  post-translational modifications of recombinant GFP 
D)  cloning gfp in different vectors 
E)  none of the above

Exam 12: Molecular Techniques and Biotechnology

Discuss possible disadvantages of the yeast two-hybrid system.

What is the purpose of directed evolution?

Hybridization of a DNA probe with an RNA transcript bound to a membrane after transfer from a denaturing agarose gel is the basis for the method known as:

In the yeast two-hybrid analysis technique, in vivo protein-protein interactions are explored. The "bait" and "prey" proteins are translationally fused to the cleaved activation and DNA-binding domains of the GAL4 transcription factor. What is the target gene of GAL4?

Which of the following can be used as vectors in human gene therapy?

Once a gene encoding a putative transcriptional regulatory protein is identified by sequence annotation, what needs to be done to demonstrate this activity?

What are translational fusions used for? How are they constructed?

The colorless molecule o-nitrophenyl galactoside (ONPG) can be used as an artificial substrate in assays of β\betaβ -gal in E. coli extracts. Which of the following statements is NOT true with respect to the use of ONPG?

Genes coding for insecticidal peptides have been engineered into the genomes of some crops. These peptides are naturally produced by the bacterium:

Which kind of phage vectors is most frequently used in phage display technology?

A common approach to study a certain metabolic process is to isolate organisms defective in that particular process. These organisms are called:

Screening food products for more than one pathogen at a time can be achieved by using:

What end of the reporter DNA probe is bound to the reporter dye in real-time PCR?

When designing the primer sets for multiplex PCR, what are some concerns?

What kind of gene expression controls are revealed by operon fusions?

What type of reporter fusions can expose both transcriptional and translational controls?

Which of the following is an example of an alternative vaccine developed through biotechnology that does NOT involve the use of attenuated pathogens?

What hybridization technique can be used to confirm if two genes are components of an operon by estimating transcript size?

What is the conceptual basis of the primer extension technique?

The fluorescent proteins YFP and CFP emit yellow and blue (cyan) light, respectively. These and other variations of GFP have been obtained through:

Microbial Life: Origin and Discovery

Observing the Microbial Cell

Cell Structure and Function

Bacterial Culture, Growth, and Development

Environmental Influences and Control of Microbial Growth

Virus Structure and Function

Genomes and Chromosomes

Transcription, Translation, and Bioinformatics

Gene Transfer, Mutations, and Genome Evolution

Molecular Regulation

Viral Molecular Biology

Energetics and Catabolism

Respiration, Lithotrophy, and Photolysis

Biosynthesis

Food and Industrial Microbiology

Origins and Evolution

Bacterial Diversity

Archaeal Diversity

Eukaryotic Diversity

Microbial Ecology

Microbes and the Global Environment

Human Microbiota and Nonspecific Host Defenses

The Adaptive Immune Response

Microbial Pathogenesis

Microbial Diseases

Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Clinical Microbiology and Epidemiology

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The colorless molecule o-nitrophenyl galactoside (ONPG) can be used as an artificial substrate in assays of $\beta$ -gal in E. coli extracts. Which of the following statements is NOT true with respect to the use of ONPG?