b-galactasidase

Question

If glucose is present at high levels in a culture medium, will significant levels of active Β-galactosidase enzyme be detected?

 

Answer 1

No, if glucose is present at high levels in a culture medium, significant levels of active β-galactosidase enzyme will not be detected because high glucose levels repress the expression of the lac operon, which codes for β-galactosidase; essentially, when glucose is readily available, the bacteria do not need to produce enzymes to break down lactose