Marmas Week 2
Contents
Purpose
- Identify the differences in amino acid sequences of alleles.
- Identify what features of amino acid sequences of a protein are associated with pigment and color.
- Explain how genotype-phenotype rules apply to how how colors combine to produce a new color.
- Identify what proteins are present in each of the four starting organisms.
- Construct a purple protein using the information gathered of the biochemistry of plant color.
Methods
- Compare the proteins in the starting strains and compare the differences in allele, color, and amino acid sequence.
- Compare the particular colors' protein sequence to the "sample protein"
Results
a) Proteins Produced in each of the four starting organisms:
| Starting Organism | Protein Produced by Allele 1 | Protein Produced by Allele 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Green-1 | Green-Colored Protein | Green Colored Protein |
| Green-2 | Blue-Colored Protein | Yellow-Colored Protein |
| Red | Red-Colored Protein | None |
| White | White-Colored Protein | White Colored Protein |
c) The polarity and shape of the protein seem to have an influence of the color. Both Green-Colored proteins are more polar than the other colors of protein. When the folding configuration of protein is altered to something other than the configuration of the starting organisms, the protein defaults to White-Colored, even if the protein is polar.
d) The features of the amino acid sequence that specifically alter color are the 10th or 11th amino acid in the sequence. This is not necessarily due to polar or charged characteristics, as changing the polar-uncharged Y10 in the Green-1 organism to a Serine, for example, does not maintain the green color. By modifying either the 10th or 11th protein in the sequence, the color will change. However, if the amino acid sequence is modified in a way that the configuration of the protein is altered, the default color is white.
e) Colors that are mixed to produce a new color follow somewhat basic rules of color combinations; when two primary-colored proteins are produced, the resulting phenotype is the corresponding secondary color (ex. blue and yellow make green, red and yellow make orange, etc.). However, when a secondary-colored protein is present with a primary-colored protein, such as a Green-Colored Protein and a Red-Colored Protein, the resulting phenotype is Black. These follows the possible color combinations shown when the plants are crossed in Part I (Genetics).
