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Evaluation · Q3

Q.Anaphase promoting complex APC is a protein degradation machinery necessary for proper mitosis of animal cells. If APC is defective in human cell, which of the following is expected to occur?

(a) Chromosomes will be fragmented
(b) Chromosomes will not condense
(c) Chromosomes will not segregate
(d) Recombination of chromosomes will occur
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✓ Free question

Step 1. The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a ubiquitin ligase that targets specific regulatory proteins - including cohesins holding sister chromatids together - for degradation at the metaphase-to-anaphase transition.

Step 2. Degrading cohesin is what physically releases sister chromatids from one another, allowing the spindle to pull them to opposite poles.

Step 3. If APC/C is defective, cohesin is never degraded, so sister chromatids remain glued together even though the spindle is pulling on them.

Step 4. The practical outcome is that chromosomes fail to segregate to opposite poles - not fragmentation, not a failure to condense, and not recombination, which are all unrelated to APC/C's role.

✓Final answer

A defective APC/C prevents cohesin breakdown, so chromosomes fail to segregate - option (c).

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