Question

A friend returns from a trip to the Himalayas convinced that she has found evidence of a Yeti (i.e. the abominable snowman). As proof, she hands you an oddly shaped piece of bone.

While you appreciate her enthusiasm, you are not convinced. So, you do what any young scientist would do and analyze the protein composition of the bone using mass spectroscopy. In doing so, you identify a small protein sequence with the following amino acids: GSTGEIGPAGPPGPPGLR

A) Based on your analysis, what protein did you identify?  

B) From what species does this protein derive?  

C) What is the common name for this species and does it make sense that she would have found such a bone on her recent trip?  

D) What is the complete amino acid sequence of this protein?   

E) What is the molecular weight of the protein?   

Answer 1

A. The protein identified is Collagen. (High abundance of glycine and proline indicates collagen)

B. The protein derives from Ovies aries (may be present in other ruminants like cow also)

C. Common name for this species is sheep which is found abundantly in snowy mountain region like the Himalayas. So its pretty common to find a bone of sheep in these regions.

D. Complete amino acid sequence in FASTA format is as follows:

>tr|W5P481|W5P481_SHEEP Collagen type I alpha 1 chain OS=Ovis aries OX=9940 GN=COL1A1 PE=4 SV=1
MFSFVDLRLLLLLAATALLTHGQEEGQEEGQEEDIPPVTCVQNGLRYHDRDVWKPVPCQI
CVCDNGNVLCDDVICDELKDCPNAKVPTPPRPVSPHPPPPPPPPTTTKQRGGRGGPCPRP
GAHRPSHSPPQGPAGPPGRDGIPGQPGLPGPPGPPGPPGPPGLGGNFAPQLSYGYDEKST
GISVPGPMGPSGPRGLPGPPGAPGPQGFQGPPGEPGEPGASGPMGPRGPPGPPGKNGDDG
EAGKPGRPGERGPPGPQGARGLPGTAGLPGMKGHRGFSGLDGAKGDAGPAGPKGEPGSPG
ENGAPGQMGPRGLPGERGRPGAPGPAGARGNDGATGAAGPPGPTGPAGPPGFPGAVGAKG
EAGPQGPRGSEGPQGVRGEPGPPGPAGAAGPAGNPGADGQPGAKGANGAPGIAGAPGFPG
ARGPSGPQGPSGPPGPKGNSGEPGAPGSKGDTGAKGEPGPTGIQGPPGPAGEEGKRGARG
EPGPAGLPGPPGERGGPGSRGFPGSDGVAGPKGPAGERGAPGPAGPKGSPGEAGRPGEAG
LPGAKGLTGSPGSPGPDGKTGPPGPAGQDGRPGPPGPPGARGQAGVMGFPGPKGAAGEPG
KAGERGVPGPPGAVGPAGKDGEAGAQGPPGPAGPAGERGEQGPAGSPGFQGLPGPAGPPG
EAGKPGEQGVPGDLGAPGPSGARGERGFPGERGVQGPPGPAGPRGANGAPGNDGAKGDAG
APGAPGSQGAPGLQGMPGERGAAGLPGPKGDRGDAGPKGADGAPGKDGVRGLTGPIGPPG
PAGAPGDKGETGPSGPAGPTGARGAPGDRGEPGPPGPAGFAGPPGADGQPGAKGEPGDAG
AKGDAGPPGPAGPAGPPGPIGNVGAPGPKGARGSAGPPGATGFPGAAGRVGPPGPSGNAG
PPGPPGPAGKEGSKGPRGETGPAGRAGEVGPPGPPGPAGEKGAPGADGPAGAPGTPGPQG
IAGQRGVVGLPGQRGERGFPGLPGPSGEPGKQGPSGASGERGPPGPMGPPGLAGPPGESG
REGAPGAEGSPGRDGAPGAKGDRGETGPAGPPGAPGAPGAPGPVGPAGKSGDRGETGPAG
PAGPIGPVGARGPAGPQGPRGDKGETGEQGDRGIKGHRGFSGLQGPPGPPVSMLSPSPAP
SPASSLQGPPGSAGTPGKDGLNGLPGPIGPPGPRGRTGDAGPAVSPPTLSAHGPPALKAP
SPRSRYDLSFLPQPPQEKAHDGGRYYRADDANVVRDRDLEVDTTLKSLSQQIENIRSPEG
SRKNPARTCRDLKMCHPDWKSGEYWIDPNQGCNLDAIKVFCNMETGETCVYPTQPSVPQK
NWYISKNPKDKRHVWYGESMTGGFQVREGGQGSDPADVAIQLTFLRLMSTEASQNITYHC
KNSVAYMDQQTGNLKKALLLQGSNEIEIRAEGNSRFTYSVTYDGCTSHTGAWGKTVIEYK
TTKTSRLPIIDVAPLDVGAPDQEFGFDIGSVCFL

E. Molecular weight = 140644 Da