Evolution is a genetic mechanism that resulting in the generational survival of DNA alteration that have a better adaptive value than the unaltered DNA. The biology of a gene is played out through the proteins they encode, so the more adaptive the protein the high rate of its gene being passed to the next generation.
Do proteins evolve separating from one another or is the evolution of one protein dependent on the evolution of other proteins? Why or Why not?
I think it's possible for proteins to evolve separately; however, I believe most proteins have evolved in relation to one another. Proteins rarely function independently. The simplest example is to look at nutrient metabolism pathways: the proteins are a part of one system. If nutrient acquisition is to become more efficient over time the system needs to evolve as a whole. To make things more complex, often one protein is involved in more than one "system" increasing the likelihood it will evolve as other proteins evolve.
ReplyDeleteI think i would have to agree. When we think about the process of a protein evolving, it can only occur when a novel mutation is able to occupy some niche within a system. The available niches depend on the current set of proteins (or organisms) within that system, and thus niches will change and become available as the system evolves.
DeleteI believe that protein evolution would be highly reliant on other proteins. As Susan said, one protein can be involved in many functional systems. As a protein evolves to serve the benefit of one system it may lose its ability to interact with the proteins of another system it once worked with or it may become a competitor for a binding site on another system group resulting in an altered or lack of function. There would have to be evolution of other proteins to adapt to the changes or overall there could be a resulting unsuspected weakness. Changes made for desired outcomes or traits often lead to unknown consequences that need addressed.
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ReplyDeleteWhat is meant by niche? By the way this may be a good way of looking at proteins.
ReplyDeleteNiche usually refers to a specific role that a organism plays within a environment that functions to serve that environment. I think that's a great way to look at proteins due to their being the building blocks of functional systems. Each serves a purpose that works to benefit the whole.
ReplyDeleteProteins exist in a specific "nano" environment (space, time and conditions)..
ReplyDeleteDISCLAIMER: The way I'm responding to this post may be completely wrong, but I'm going for it. My knowledge of proteins and their interactions reminds me of how medications react with receptors within the body. Say that a medication is made that reacts on 6 different receptors. Now, if there is suddenly a change in the composition or structure of the medication, the way the medication works is different. It may now only bind to 2 out of the 6 receptors or may act as a competitive inhibitor. Wouldn't the same idea hold true for proteins? If a modification occurs within a protein that works with numerous other proteins in a cell, wouldn't that affect the function of the other proteins and promote changes in their composition?
ReplyDeleteI think proteins came up from different types of proteins which were present. The genes for a particular protein were duplicated and mutated until it became a new protein which is advantageous.
ReplyDeleteHow many actin genes are there in an organism?
ReplyDeleteI think there's about 20 actin genes in humans?
ReplyDeleteWhat about paralogs and orthologs?
ReplyDeleteOrthologs are genes in different species that evolved from a common gene which retain same functions. paralogs are genes related by duplication within a genome which evolve new functions.
ReplyDeletehttp://gutengroup.mcb.arizona.edu/posters/111104_Mannakee_ShowcasePoster.pdf
ReplyDeleteBoth orthologous and paralogous genes are different types of homologous genes. Two genes are to be orthologous if they diverged after a speciation event and generally maintain a similar function to that of the ancestral gene.
ReplyDeleteAnd, paralogous genes are homologous genes that occur within one species and have diverged after a duplication event but possess a new function. These genes arise during gene duplication where one copy of the gene receives a mutation that gives rise to a new gene with a new function.
This topic makes me think of my thesis work, which looks at different glucan synthase proteins that are all encoded for by separate genes in Penicillium marneffei. Glucan is vital to the fungus’s survival due to its role in cell wall structure. Evolutionary development of separate, but similar glucan synthases most likely gave the fungus an improved fitness. Having more than one way to produce such an important substance could save the organism whether it has a genetic mutation or if something in the
ReplyDeleteenvironment is attempting to disrupt its glucan structure. The genes that encode these synthases may have developed from an individual gene and given earlier fungi a survival advantage.
Sarah's comment goes along with my research as well. P. marneffei has at least seven genes that code for separate chitin synthases that essentially all perform identical functions but in different parts of the cell. Their ability to compensate for one another under different kinds of stress hints at the potential for evolutionary relatedness.
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