Multiple choice

Which of the following is the inducer of the lac operon?

  1. Isopropyl-β-D-thio-galactoside

  2. Phenyl-β-D-galactose (phenyl-Gal)

  3. ONPG

  4. Allolactose

  5. Phosphoenolpyruvic acid

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Allolactose is an isomer of lactose and is the inducer of the lac operon. Lactose is galactose-(β1->4)-glucose, whereas allolactose is galactose-(β1->6)-glucose. Lactose is converted to allolactose by β-galactosidase in an alternative reaction to the hydrolytic one.