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You have a mixed population of bacteria S. aureus) in the lab. Approximately half of them WT) are susceptible to the antibiot rifampin. The other half are not, due to a mutation in the rpoB gene. The rpoB mutation results in an RNA polymerase that doesn't work as well as in the WT, hence transcription is not as rapid, and these bacteria grow much more slowly than those with the WT enzyme.
-If the population is maintained on media that contains rifampin, what is expected to occur over a period of time?
A) The rifampin susceptible bacteria and the rifampin resistant bacteria will remain in approximately equal proportions.
B) The rifampin susceptible bacteria will increase in proportion to the rifampin resistant bacteria.
C) The rifampin resistant bacteria will increase in proportion compared to the rifampin susceptible bacteria.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since rifampin is only effective against the rifampin susceptible bacteria, those bacteria will be eliminated over time leaving only the rifampin resistant bacteria to grow and replicate, resulting in an increase in their proportion compared to the rifampin susceptible bacteria.

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