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polishsausage polishsausage
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11 years ago
Actin is one of the most highly conserved proteins, present in all eukaryotic cells and differing by no more than 20% between algae and humans. What does this tell you about the structure and functions of this protein?

So I know that the amino acid sequence has changed little over the course of evolution and as a result it has an optimised structure. Does it have something to do with the fact that actin is an enzyme that hydrolizes ATP and it is also able to carry out more interactions than any other protein?
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#1
11 years ago
Quote from: polishsausage (11 years ago)
What does this tell you about the structure and functions of this protein?

That its function has changed ever since we diverged on an evolutionary scale. Actin is a protein that functions in the contractile system of skeletal muscle, where it is found in the thin filaments. In other words, actin is a structural protein, meaning it is used to build structures in the body. Enzymes are also proteins, but they catalyze biochemical reactions to make them happen faster.
polishsausage Author
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#2
11 years ago
Did you mean to write "its function has *not* changed ever since" or am I reading that right?
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