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Question #45137
The Question
The patenting of recombinant human insulin by Eli Lilly in 1983 relied on a technologically unique process that bypassed a major biological limitation of prokaryotic hosts. If a modern biotechnology firm attempted to patent a process involving the direct insertion of the complete human proinsulin cDNA into E. coli to mass-produce functional, mature insulin, the patent would be scientifically invalid primarily because:
Options
- A.
E. coli lacks the eukaryotic post-translational machinery to excise the C-peptide, meaning the expressed polypeptide would remain as biologically inactive proinsulin.
- B.
Prokaryotic ribosomes are unable to translate the human-specific codons present in the C-peptide region, leading to truncated, non-functional A and B chains.
- C.
The absence of a Golgi apparatus in E. coli prevents the essential glycosylation of the A chain, which is required for insulin receptor binding.
- D.
Patenting unmodified human genetic sequences violates GEAC guidelines on biopiracy, which strictly mandate the use of synthetic genes for recombinant therapeutics.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
GEAC|Patent_Law|Golden_Rice_Nutritional_Value
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often confuse the ability of E. coli to express human genes (transcription/translation) with its inability to perform eukaryotic post-translational modifications (cleavage of C-peptide).
The trap in Option D leverages buzzwords like 'GEAC' and 'biopiracy' out of their correct legal and biological context, testing if the student can isolate the fundamental biochemical constraint.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Biotechnology and Its Applications - Class 12 |
| Concept | Insulin Chain Maturation |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |