Question

Why are eukaryotic hosts preferred for expressing eukaryotic recombinant proteins?  

A. Enzymes necessary for the proper folding of the proteins are absent in eukaryotes.  

B. Enzymes necessary for the splicing mechanism are absent in eukaryotes.  

C. Machinery for removal of introns is not there in the prokaryotes.  

D. Enzymes necessary for post-translational modifications are also absent in eukaryotes

Answer 1

The correct answer is D.

Eukaryotic hosts are preferred for expressing eukaryotic recombinant proteins because they have the necessary enzymes and machinery for post-translational modifications such as glycosylation, phosphorylation, and proteolytic cleavage, which are essential for the proper folding, stability, and function of many eukaryotic proteins. Prokaryotic hosts lack these enzymes and machinery, and therefore, the recombinant proteins produced in prokaryotes may not be correctly folded or modified, which can affect their function and activity. Additionally, eukaryotic hosts are better able to perform splicing of introns, which are common in eukaryotic genes but absent in prokaryotic genes.