Effects of Nicotine and Caffeine on Isopod Behavior

Lab 4: BLAST BY MELANIE NGUYEN

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BLAST

I was assigned with sequence #6, which happens to be a type of myson. Myosin is a fiber-like protein that works along with actin to contract filaments of muscle cells. Upon inputting into BLAST I found that its full name is as follows: Strongylocentrotus purpuratus clone B11 myosin VI mRNA, partial cds; alternatively spliced. This is a specific type of myosin protein found in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, otherwise known as the purple sea urchin. According to an article written by Vladimir Sirotkin, this presence of this particular type of myosin  mRNAs in the eggs and embryos of purple sea urchins suggest some involvement of motor proteins during embryogenesis.

Figure 1. The Purple Sea Urchin. These invertebrates come from the phylum Echinodermata. They can grow up to approximately 3-4inches (7-10 cm) wide, and approximately 2 inches (5 cm) tall. They can also be found in shallow tide pools or on the sea bed of the Pacific Ocean along the coast of North America. Their diet consists of brown and green algae, and decayed matter.

Translation of the first 10 amino acids:

Arginine, Valine, Alanine, Glutamic acid, Serine, Leucine, Leucine, Arginine, Leucine, Arginine

The nucleotide sequence:

GCCCAGCGTCTCTCGGAGGAAGCTAATTCTCAGGTTATCGCAGAGGAATCTCTTGTAGCTCGTGCTGA

GGCTACCGTTGTCCAAGCCGCCGCTCCAACCAAATCCCTTGATCTGACAACATGGAAGTATGCTGATC

TCAGAGACACTATCAACACCTCAATCGATATTGCGCTCCTGTCAGCCTGCAAGGAGGAGTTCCATCGT

CGTCTCAAGGTCTACCACGCCTGGAAGATGAAGAATAAGAAGGTTGCCGCCGGCGACAAGGGCGGACC

AGAGAGGGCTCCACAATCCATCTTTGAAAGTGCCCAACAATACAACCAGCTGGCACCCCCTCCGAAAG

CCACCAAGGCTGCCCCAGCCAATCAGAACATCCAACGCTTCTTCAGGGTGCCTTTCTCCGTGACTGGG

TCCACCGCTCAGGGTCAGATGCCCGAGAGGGGTTGGTGGTACGCCCACTTTGACGGTCAGTGGATCGC

CCGCCAGATGGAGGTACACCCCACCAAGGTCCCCGTTCTTCTGGTTGCAGGTAAAGATGATGAGAACA

TGTGTGAGATGAGTTTGGAGGAGACTGGGTTGACACGACGTCCCAACGCCGAGATCGTCGAGCGGGAG

TTTGAGGAGCCCTGGAAGCGTAGCGGCGGTCAGCAGTACCACATGGCTGCAGTACGCAACAAGCAGGC

TAGACCAACGTGGGCCACGCAGAGCTTGAA

Citation:

Authors: Sirotkin,V.A., Seipel,S.A. and Bonder,E.M.

Title: Characterization of sea urchin unconventional myosins and analysis of their patterns of expression during early embryogenesis

Journal:  Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, 135 Smith Hall, 101 Warren St., Newark, NJ 07102, USA