In: Biology
Assume you know or have access to the sequence of DNA or a protein unless the question states that its sequence is unknown.
You are investigating an anti-cholesterol drug designed to lower LDL but not HDL. The drug interferes with lipid processing by blocking a conversion enzyme. Some reports from the clinical trials indicate that people with a SNP in the conversion enzyme gene sequence do not respond to the drug. Explain how could you develop an experimental model to determine if the mutation is involved in a lower response to the drug?
We can take a model organism such as mouse and knockin with the mutated gene for the LDL converting enzyme in lipid processing and give the mouse model with high fat or high fat diet and treat with the the mentioned drug and collect the serum before drug treatment and after drug treatment to analyse the LDL and HDL levels. Even after the treatment of the LDL is not lower down, than the SNP of the converting enzyme is not affected by the drug