Enzymes can be used to demonstrate which macromolecule(i,e. DNA, RNA, and protein) is responsible for the transformation of bacteria because of their digestive property
What is transformation?
Transformation is referred to as the transfer of genetic material between two bacterial cells. Transformation in bacteria was first observed by Frederick Griffith. He gave the principle of transformation on the basis of his experiment and also first describe that DNA is the transforming factor that inherits the genetic information from one generation to the next.
Griffith's transformation experiment?
Frederick Griffith performs a series of experiments to predict transforming units in bacteria.
In his experiment, he grows staphylococcus bacteria and grow them on a culture plate and isolates smooth strain(virulent) and rough strain(non-virulent) out of it . Then he injects S(virulent strain) and R(non-virulent) into the mice and observes the following result.
- Mice infected with the S strain get infected with pneumonia and died, whereas the mice infected with the R strain survived.
Then he heats to kill the S strain and again injected it into the mice, two times and observe the result as follows:-
- Mice infected with heat-killed S strain survived and do not show any symptoms of pneumonia
- In mice with heat-killed s strain and live R strain the mice develops pneumonia and dies.
So he concluded that there is some transforming unit that somehow transforms the R strain into the S strain.
Now, to predict the transforming unit he first isolates 3 biomacromolecules i.e, DNA, RNA, and protein from heat-killed S strain to see which molecule is responsible for transformation in bacteria.
For this, he uses 3 digestive enzymes (DNAase for DNA digestion, RNAase for RNA digestion, and Protease for protein digestion) and performs digestion of each in a series, and observes as follows:-
- Digestion of RNA and Protein does not affect the transformation of R strain into S strain. Hence, they are not transforming units.
- Digestion of DNA inhibits the transformation of the strains. hence DNA is responsible for the transformation
Conclusion
By the above explanation, we can say that the digestive enzymes can be used the demonstration that macromolecule is the transforming factor in bacteria.
Learn more about transformation in bacteria here: brainly.com/question/7615046
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