CHLORAMPHENICOL ACETYLTRANSFERASE Meaning and
Definition
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Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase (CAT) is a bacterial enzyme that belongs to the family of acetyltransferases. It is commonly used as a genetic marker in molecular biology research to study gene expression and regulation.
The enzyme is derived from the bacterium, Escherichia coli, and is responsible for the acetylation of chloramphenicol, an antibiotic commonly used to treat bacterial infections. The acetylation of chloramphenicol by CAT modifies the antibiotic’s structure, rendering it inactive against bacterial growth.
In molecular biology experiments, the CAT gene can be introduced into bacterial or mammalian cells using recombinant DNA techniques, allowing for the production of the CAT enzyme. Researchers can then measure the activity of CAT by assessing its ability to acetylate added chloramphenicol in cell lysates or tissue extracts.
CAT is often used as a selectable marker in genetic engineering and gene expression studies. By incorporating the CAT gene into an expression vector and introducing it into cells, researchers can determine if their gene of interest is being successfully expressed. An indicator of successful expression is the ability of the cells to acetylate chloramphenicol. This allows scientists to monitor the activity of specific genes and study their regulation under different conditions or in response to various stimuli.
Overall, Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase serves as a valuable tool in molecular biology research, enabling the study of gene expression and regulation in a wide range of experimental systems.
Common Misspellings for CHLORAMPHENICOL ACETYLTRANSFERASE
- xhloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- vhloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- fhloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- dhloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- cgloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- cbloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- cnloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- cjloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- culoramphenicol acetyltransferase
- cyloramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chkoramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chporamphenicol acetyltransferase
- chooramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chliramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chlkramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chllramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chlpramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chl0ramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chl9ramphenicol acetyltransferase
- chloeamphenicol acetyltransferase
Etymology of CHLORAMPHENICOL ACETYLTRANSFERASE
The etymology of the word "Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase" can be broken down as follows:
1. Chloramphenicol: The term "chloramphenicol" is composed of two parts. "Chloro" refers to "chlorine", an element, while "amphenicol" is derived from "amphe-" meaning "both" or "ambi-" meaning "around" and "-enicol" referring to a class of antibiotics. Therefore, "chloramphenicol" refers to a specific antibiotic compound.
2. Acetyltransferase: "Acetyltransferase" is composed of two components. "Acetyl" is derived from "acetic acid", which refers to the chemical compound, and "-transferase" is a suffix indicating an enzyme that transfers functional groups between molecules. Therefore, "acetyltransferase" describes an enzyme that transfers an acetyl group.
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