Question

Treatment with the chemical Bls18 causes a nucleotide to be changed from a C to a G within the translated region of the MseOS gene. You find that in your treated cells, the protein is the same size, but has a different conformation/shape? Briefly explain how you knew that.

Answer 1

Bls18 causes a nucleotide to be changed from a C to a G. It means that mutated amino acid has a different property from the normal amino acid. Mutation either created a hydrophilic amino in place of the hydrophobic amino acid or vice-versa and amino is crucial for its conformation This change in the property broke the interaction of the normal amino acid with its nearby amino acid, which leads to loss of its function.

We can run the normal protein and mutated protein in the SDS-page and probe it with the antibody against it. If both the protein are giving the band at the same position then there is no change in the size of the protein.

To check it confirmation we need to rum the mutated and the normal protein on the native gel. if there is a change in the conformation of the protein then the mutated protein will show different migration pattern on the gel.