NEETZoologyBiotechnology and Its Applications
What was the main problem in producing insulin using rDNA techniques?
Options
- AInsulin was not assembled into a mature form.
- BInsulin was not extracted from pancreas of slaughtered cattle and pigs.
- CInsulin was not synthesised as a pro-hormone.
- DInsulin was not introduced in plasmids of E. coli.
Correct answer
A. Insulin was not assembled into a mature form.
Step-by-step solution
In mammals, including humans, insulin is synthesized as a pro-hormone (like a pro-enzyme, the pro-hormone also needs to be processed before it becomes a fully mature and functional hormone) which contains an extra stretch called the C peptide. This C peptide is not present in the mature insulin and is removed during maturation into insulin. The main challenge for production of insulin using rDNA techniques was getting insulin assembled into a mature form. In 1983, Eli Lilly an American company prepared two DNA sequ