Insulin and gene therapy — practice questions

Question 1 · difficulty L1 · recall

Why was recombinant human insulin an important biotechnology product?

• A. It is produced only in human blood
• B. It permanently cures every form of diabetes without any additional treatment
• C. It replaces all pancreatic cells
• D. It produces human insulin without animal pancreases

Question 2 · difficulty L2 · understanding

Why were the A and B chains of human insulin produced separately in early recombinant production systems?

• A. Bacteria do not process proinsulin like human cells
• B. The A and B chains perform completely unrelated biological functions in the human body
• C. Bacteria cannot make peptides
• D. Insulin contains no disulfide bonds

Question 3 · difficulty L2 · understanding

Which of the following genetically engineered organisms was used by Eli Lilly to prepare human insulin?

• A. Virus
• B. Phage
• C. Bacterium
• D. Yeast

Question 4 · difficulty L3 · understanding

Match List-I with List-II. List - I List - II (A) Gene therapy (I) Separation of DNA fragments (B) RNA interference (II) Diagnostic test for AIDS (C) ELISA (III) Cellular defence (D) Gel Electrophoresis (IV) Allows correction of a gene defect. Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

• A. (A)-(IV), (B)-(I), (C)-(II), (D)-(III)
• B. (A)-(IV), (B)-(II), (C)-(III), (D)-(I)
• C. (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)
• D. (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)

Question 5 · difficulty L3 · understanding

In gene therapy of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency, the patient requires periodic infusion of genetically engineered lymphocytes because:

• A. Retroviral vector is introduced into these lymphocytes.
• B. Gene isolated from marrow cells producing ADA is introduced into cells at embryonic stages
• C. Lymphocytes from patient's blood are grown in culture, outside the body
• D. Genetically engineered lymphocytes are not immortal cells.

Question 6 · difficulty L3 · understanding

When gene targetting involving gene amplification is attempted in an individual's tissue to treat disease, it is known as :

• A. Safety testing
• B. Biopiracy
• C. Gene therapy
• D. Molecular diagnosis

Question 7 · difficulty L3 · application

What is the main goal of gene therapy?

• A. To increase mutation rates randomly across the patient's entire genome
• B. To compensate for a disease-causing genetic defect
• C. To remove all genes from a patient
• D. To replace every cell in the body

Question 8 · difficulty L3 · application

A gene-therapy vector reaches many cells, but the therapeutic gene is not expressed. Which step has most directly failed?

• A. DNA fingerprinting
• B. Recognition of Mendelian segregation ratios in the treated population
• C. Formation of gametes
• D. Expression of the introduced gene

Question 9 · difficulty L3 · understanding

Statements related to human Insulin are given below. Which statements is/are correct about genetically engineered Insulin? (a) Pro-hormone insulin contain extra stretch of C-peptide (b) A-peptide and B-peptide chains of insulin were produced separately in E.coli, extracted and combined by creating disulphide bond between them. (c) Insulin used for treating Diabetes was extracted from Cattles and Pigs. (d) Pro-hormone Insulin needs to be processed for converting into a mature and functional hormone. (e) Some patients develop allergic reactions to the foreign insulin. Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

• A. (a), (b) and (d) only
• B. (b) only
• C. (c) and (d) only
• D. (c), (d) and (e) only

Question 10 · difficulty L3 · understanding

With regard to insulin choose correct options. (1) C-peptide is not present in mature insulin. (2) The insulin produced by rDNA technology has C-peptide. (3) The pro-insulin has C-peptide (4) A-peptide and B-peptide of insulin are interconnected by disulphide bridges. Choose the correct answer from the options given below.

• A. (1) and (4) only
• B. (2) and (4) only
• C. (2) and (3) only
• D. (1), (3) and (4) only