#Question id: 15621

Wild type E. coli metabolizes the sugar lactose by expressing the enzyme ß-galactosidase. You have isolated a mutant that you call lac1–, which cannot synthesize ß-galactosidase and cannot grow on lactose (Lac–). During an condition Lac– strain, called lac3–, is linked to the Tn5 insertion. From a strain carrying the Tn5 insertion and lac3– mutation you isolate an F’ that caries a region of the chromosome that includes both Tn5 and the linked Lac region. Introduce this F’ into an F– strain carrying lac1– by selecting for Kanr. These merodiploids express ß-galactosidase normally. If the merodiploid were Lac–, 

a) the two mutations lie in the different gene.

b) Both mutation are complement each other

c) the two mutations lie in the same gene.

d) Both of the mutations is dominant to wild type.

what could you conclude about the relationship between the lac3– and lac1– mutations from  these statements?