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1. How and why could a protein change with a change in one amino acid? (Hint:...

1. How and why could a protein change with a change in one amino acid? (Hint: think of Hemoglobin S)

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A protein is essentially a polymer of amino acids. The properties of proteins, thus, depend largely on the composition of amino acids. Amino acids can be hydrophobic, hydrophilic or charged (negatively or positively). These properties of amino acids make proteins to function properly. Even a change in a single amino acid can make the protein lose its functional as well as structural properties. This can be seen in the case of sickle cell trait where a missense mutation replaces glutamic acid with another hydrophobic amino acid- valine at the 6th position of beta-globin chain. This results in aggregation of hemoglobin in low oxygen conditions which promote distortion of red blood cells. Thus, in sickle cell trait, the RBCs lose their original shape.

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