CHLORAMPHENICOL O ACETYLTRANSFERASE Meaning and
Definition
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Chloramphenicol O acetyltransferase (CAT) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in microbial resistance to chloramphenicol, an antibiotic drug commonly used to treat various bacterial infections. This enzyme is produced by bacteria that have acquired resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer or mutation.
The primary function of chloramphenicol O acetyltransferase is to modify the antibiotic chloramphenicol by adding an acetyl group to it. This modification reduces the binding affinity of chloramphenicol to the bacterial ribosomes, which are the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis. Consequently, chloramphenicol becomes ineffective at inhibiting protein synthesis in bacteria, and the microbial cells can continue growing and reproducing even in the presence of the antibiotic.
The enzyme's acetyltransferase activity is specific to chloramphenicol and does not modify other antibiotics. This selectivity allows bacteria to become resistant to chloramphenicol without affecting their susceptibility to other drugs.
The activity of chloramphenicol O acetyltransferase is widely studied in molecular biology and microbiology research as it serves as a useful marker gene for the successful introduction of foreign DNA into bacterial cells. By incorporating the CAT gene into the same plasmid or vector as the gene of interest, researchers can easily identify and select bacteria that have successfully taken up the foreign DNA by exposing them to chloramphenicol. Only bacteria expressing the enzyme will be able to grow on the antibiotic-containing media, making it a valuable tool in genetic engineering and biotechnology.
Common Misspellings for CHLORAMPHENICOL O ACETYLTRANSFERASE
- xhloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- vhloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- fhloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- dhloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- cgloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- cbloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- cnloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- cjloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- culoramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- cyloramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chkoramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chporamphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chooramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chliramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chlkramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chllramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chlpramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chl0ramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chl9ramphenicol o acetyltransferase
- chloeamphenicol o acetyltransferase
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