A child is diagnosed with a rare inherited metabolic disorde…
A child is diagnosed with a rare inherited metabolic disorder that prevents them from producing a functional version of an enzyme involved in breaking down disaccharides. This leads to severe gastrointestinal symptoms after consuming dairy and some fruit-based products. Prompt: Explain how enzyme specificity and protein structure contribute to this disorder. What level(s) of protein structure might be disrupted? How does this case highlight the relationship between gene expression, protein function, and nutrition? What are the implications for dietary planning and treatment?