Question Error Report

Thank you for reporting, we will resolve it shortly

Back to Question

Q. Assertion : Human insulin can be produced into bacterial cells using biotechnology.
Reason : To produce human insulin the $A$, $B$ and $C$ polypeptides of the human insulin are produced separately in the bacterial cells, extracted and combined by creating disulphide bonds.

Biotechnology and its Applications

Solution:

Transgenic bacteria have been produced that translate the constituting polypeptide chains of human insulin. These polypeptides can be extracted from the bacterial cells and combined by creating disulphide bonds to produce human insulin. In humans, insulin is produced as a prohormone with three polypeptides $A$, $B$ and $C$. After processing, the $C$ peptide is removed and mature insulin is formed. When transgenic bacteria are used, instead of producing extra stretch of $C$ peptide, only $A$ and $B$ polypeptides are produced and then inked to produce mature insulin directly.