View source for Β-galactosidase

Beta-galactosidase (B-galactosidase), also known as lactase, is encoded by the [[LacZα_gene|lacZ]] [[gene|gene]] that is commonly found in the [[plasmid|plasmid]] of the bacterium ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]''. This gene resides within the [[Lac operon|lac operon]], regulated by the [[Lac repressor|lac repressor]] and CAP. B-galactosidase is an [[Enzyme|enzyme]] that [[Catalyse|catalyses]] the [[Hydrolysis|hydrolysis]] of a [[Disaccharide|disaccharide]], [[Lactose|lactose]], into the two [[Monosaccharide|monosaccharides]], [[Glucose|glucose]] and [[Galactose|galactose]]<ref>Alberts. A, Johnson. A, Lewis. J, Morgan. D, Raff. M, Roberts. K, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 6th ed. New York: Garland Science. 2015.</ref>. 

Notably, the lacZ gene is one of the regularly utilised [[Reporter genes|reporter genes]] in Reporter Gene Assays. This enables the measurement of the activity of the gene of interest through the production of blue pigment resulting from the [[Hydrolysis|hydrolysis]] of X-gal by Beta-galactosidase<ref>ThermoFisher Scientific. Reporter Gene Assays. 2016 [cited 20/3/18]; Available from: https://www.thermofisher.com/uk/en/home/references/gibco-cell-culture-basics/transfection-basics/reporter-gene-assays.html</ref>. (see [[Blue/white Selection|blue/white selection technique]]).

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