KEDAH MATRICULATION COLLEGE

BIOLOGY ASSIGNMENT
BIOLOGY 1 (SB015)
SESSION 2021/2022

TOPIC 6 :EXPRESSION OF BIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

SECTION A/B/C

NAME :NUR ALEEYA NAZIRAH BINTI

BASHARUDIN
MATRIC NUMBER : MS2118122816
TUTORIAL : DHT13
LECTURER’S NAME : NOORLIZA BT MD YATIM
6.4GENE REGULATION AND EXPRESSION – LAC OPERON

i . Review about Lac Operon in E.coli

Operon is a genetic regulatory system that found in bacteria and their viruses which
in genes coding for functionally related proteins clustered along the DNA . This features also
allows protein synthesis to be controlled coordinately in response to the needs of the cell .
By providing the means is to produce proteins only when and where they are required , the
operon allows the cell to conserve energy which is it very important for part of an organism
life strategy . Lac operon can be define as a system that allows the E.coli to repress the
production of enzymes .Lac operon contains three genes which is LacZ , LacY and LacA .
These genes are transcribed as a single mRNA under control of one promoter .

An operon also consists of promoter , operator , and structural genes that code for
the enzymes . Promoter is the site of attachment or binding site of RNA polymerase and it is
needed to start transcription . Next , Operator is the binding site for the attachment of the
repressor protein that controls the transcription of the operon and structural gene is a gene
that that codes for any RNA or protein product other than a regulatory factor . In Lac Operon
, the structural are divided into three which is Lac Z , Lac Y and Lac A where these genes
are encode for the production of β-galactosidase , permease and transacetylase respectively
..
ii . Predict what happens when lactose is absent and when it is present

The inducer in Lac operon is allolactose . Allolactose is an isomer of lactose . If the

lactose is absent , the repressor bind itself to the operator and cause the lac operon is switch
off .Other than that , repressor protein also blocks the parts of promoter and RNA
polymerase cannot bind to the promoter . The operon is not active because the transcription
of structural genes is blocked by repressor-operator complex .So , no transcription occur
and LacZ , LacY and LacA are not transcribed also three structural enzymes are cannot be
produced .

Meanwhile , if the lactose is present , lac operon is swtich on . Lactose molecule will
enter to E.coli and then some of lactose will be coverted into allolactose . Next , allolactose
are binds to repressor protein which is produced by regulator gene to form allolactose-
repressor complex . The repressor protein will alters and change the shape and repressor
protein unable to bind to the operator or detaches from the operator . So , the operon is
activated . After that , RNA polymerase then binds to the promoter and transcription of
structural genes (LacZ , LacY and LacA ) will takes place to form mRNA . After transcription ,
the translation of m RNA will occur where m RNA translated to produce three enzymes
which are β-galactosidase , permease and transacelyte by ribosome . Then , lactose will be
hydrolise into galactose and glucose .
 LacZ(S1) is the one of structural genes that encode for produces enzyme call β-
galactosidase . This enzyme are function to hydrolyzes or breakdown lactose to glucose and
galactose . Next , enzyme Lactose permease which is produced by structural gene LacY
(S2) .This enzyme is function as transports lactose into the cell or into the E.coli . Lastly is
Lac A (S3) gene products is enzyme lactose transacetylase and it has unknown and not
usually necessary function .These are very important for process of lactose metabolism .

iii . Discover the significance of lac operon to prokaryotes .

When glucose is present and and lactose is absent , enzyme β-galactosidase are not
produce .Next is when glucose is present and lactose is present , enzyme β-galactosidase
are also cannot be produced . But when glucose absent and lactose are absent , no enzyme
β-galactosidase will be produced. While when glucose is absent and lactose is present ,
enzyme β-galactosidase are can be produce .

The importance of lac operon is operon is a genetic unit that produces the enzymes
necessary for the digestion of lactose . This also found in E.coli and some other enteric
bacteria that contains gene coding for proteins in charge of transporting lactose into the
cytosol and digesting it into glucose . This glucose is then used to make energy .

Conclusion

Lac operon is a cluster of gene that consists of a promoter , operator and the
structural genes LacZ , LacY and LacA . Lactose is break down into glucose and galactose
with the help of enzyme β-galactosidase . This enzyme is produced by LacZ gene . In
mechanism of Lac operon , a repressor protein that is produced by the LacI gene repress
transcription when it bind to the operator . If lactose is present , the repressor can binds to it
and transcription process is occur . But when lactose is absent , the transcripton is blocked
by repressor-operator complex . So , no transcription is occur and no enzymes can be
produce .

Reference
• Gralla , J.D 1992 . lac Repressor . In S.L .McKnight and K.R Yamonoto
,eds.,Transcriptional Regulation . Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Press,pp.629-642
• www.britannica.com/science/operon
• http://ms.wikiqube.net/wiki/Lac_operon
• https://www.khanacademy.org