Question

In an experiment you add streptomycin at low concentration first and then gradually increase the concentration till it completely inhibits peptide formation. What will be its effect at low concentration?

(a) No effect

(b) Shorter peptide

(c) Wrong amino acid incorporation

(d) Slower formation

This question was posed to me in semester exam.

My question is taken from Ribosome topic in division Gene Expression : Translation of Cytogenetics

Answer 1

Right choice is (c) Wrong amino acid incorporation

Best explanation: Streptomycin interacts with the smaller subunit of the ribosome and prevents the initiation at higher concentration. At lower concentration, it leads to the incorporation of more errors.