Recombinant Insulin Production — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2025In mammals, including humans, insulin is synthesised as a pro-hormone (like a pro-enzyme, the pro-hormone also needs to be processed before it becomes a fully mature and functional hormone) which contains an extra stretch called the C peptide. This C peptide is not present in the mature insulin and is removed during maturation into insulin.The main challenge for production of insulin using rDNA techniques was getting insulin assembled into a mature form. In 1983, Eli Lilly an American company prepared two DNA sequences corresponding to A and B, chains of human insulin and introduced them in plasmids of E. coli to produce insulin chains. Chains A and B were produced separately, extracted and combined by creating disulfide bonds to form human insulin.
NTA tests whether students understand how rDNA technology produces mature, functional insulin in E. coli. The key concept is that insulin must be synthesized as a pro-hormone (containing C-peptide), then processed into mature insulin with A and B chains linked by disulfide bonds. Students commonly confuse pro-insulin with mature insulin, or forget that A and B chains are produced separately and then assembled—this isn't automatic. Remember: E. coli produces separate chains → chains are extracted → disulfide bonds are created artificially to form functional human insulin. This is a classic biotechnology application repeatedly tested because it demonstrates both recombinant protein production and post-translational modification challenges.
This paragraph was tested 5 times in NEET.
Statement I: Two DNA sequences were prepared corresponding to A and B chains of human insulin and were introduced in the plasmids of Agrobacterium to produce the insulin chain. Statement II: Chain A and B were produced separately, extracted, and combined by creating disulfide bonds to form human insulin. Choose the correct option:
Match the Column –
Select the incorrect statement regarding the chemical structure of insulin: (NEET 2023)
Which statements is/are correct about genetically engineered Insulin? (NEET 2022 Phase 1) (a) Pro-hormone insulin contain extra stretch of C-peptide (b) A-peptide and B-peptide chains of insulin were produced separately in E.coli, extracted and combined by creating disulphide bond between them (c) Insulin used for treating Diabetes was extracted from Cattles and Pigs (d) Pro-hormone Insulin needs to be processed for converting into a mature and functional hormone (e) Some patients develop allergic reactions to the foreign insulin Choose the most appropriate answer:
With regard to insulin, choose correct options. (NEET 2020) (a) C-peptide is not present in mature insulin. (b) The insulin produced by rDNA technology has C-peptide. (c) The pro-insulin has C-peptide. (d) A-peptide and B-peptide of insulin are interconnected by disulphide bridges. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.