Super Power Proteins

SUPER POWER PROTEINS

Objective: Review the process of transcription and translation

Instructions:

Select ONEsuper power (s) (trait) that your super hero will have by highlighting the row of the super power.

Super Power / mRNA section
Speed / --UUC-CUU-UCA-GCU-CAA-GUA-CCG-UUU-GUA-CAC--
Super strength / --GCG-AGU-CUG-CUG-AUA-AGU-AGG-CCU-GAA-GCC--
Agility / --GCG-AGG-CUG-CUG-AUA-AGU-AGG-CCU-GAA-GCC--
Regeneration / --ACU-CUU-GUA-CCA-CAU-GCA-GCU-GCC-GCG-UAC--
Supervision / --CUC-UUU-AUU-UUU-UAC-AAC-CGC-GCC-GCC-GCC--
Super Hearing / --CUC-UUU-AUU-UUG-UAC-AAC-CGC-GCC-GCC-GCC--
Telekinesis / --UCC-CCU-ACA-GCA-UAC-UGC-GUA-AUC-CUA-UUU--
Telepathy / --UCC-CCU-ACA-GCA-UAC-UCC-GUA-AUC-CUA-AGG--
Psychometry / --ACA-GCG-UAC-CAU-CAG-AAU-AAG-AGC-AGA-GGA--
Shapeshifting / --CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC-CCA-AAA-CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC--
Elasticity / --CUG-CCA-CAC-CGC-GCC-GGA-UUA-UCC-GCG-AAA-
Invisibility / --GCC-AGA-CUA-UUG-UGG-CCA-GCC-CAG-ACC-CGA--

Look at the codon chart and write the amino acid chainsequence coded by mRNA.

Alanine : Ala

Arganine: Arg

Asparagine: Asn

Aspartic acid: Asp

Cysteine: Cys

Glutamic acid: Glu

Glutamine: Gln

Glycine: Gly

Histidine: Hist

Isoleucine: Ile

Leucine: Leu

Lysine:Lys

Methionine: Met

Phenylalanine:Phe

Proline:Pro

Serine: Ser

Threonine: Thr

Tryptophan: Trp

Tyrosine:Tyr

Valine:Val

START: Met

Image source:

Amino acid chain: ______

Describe why you have chosen those super power(s)

______

Use the mRNA sequence of your super hero and write the complimentary DNA chain?

mRNA ______

DNA ______

How was the mRNA produced? In which organelle of the cell was the mRNA produced?

______

Explain the role of the mRNA in your super hero

______

Compare and contrast the mRNA sequence of the super powers “super strength” and “agility”. Are there any changes to the final product? Explain

______

Look at the super powers “super vision” and “super hearing”. Are there any changes to the final product? Explain______

Think about two parents homozygous for invisibility & super strength, who recently found they are expecting. Which traits will the baby show?

______

Create a flow chart of how your super hero is determined by DNA.

______

The proteins of your super heroes (where/ where not) a result of transcription and translation.

Give a name to your super hero and complete his/her image

TEACHER NOTES

Select ONE super power (s) (trait) that your super hero will have by highlighting the row of the super power.

Super Power / mRNA section
Speed / High speed to travel or perform actions.
Super strength / Strong, tough and durable; physically stronger than humans.
Agility / Lighting speed reacting, flexibility and jumping capacity.
Regeneration / Capacity to heel when injured.
Supervision / Ability to see minuscule details at a large distance.
Super Hearing / To hear in long distances and different range of sounds.
Telekinesis / Using your mind to move objects
Telepathy / Communicating trough the mind with other species.
Psychometry / Discovering facts of someone or events by touching an object.
Shapeshifting / Physically changing into other form or being.
Elasticity / Ability to return the body to its natural shape after stretching long distances or various shapes.
Invisibility / Ability to be invisible to the naked eye.

Look at the codon chart and write the amino acid chain sequence coded by mRNA.

Amino acid chain:

Super Power / mRNA section
Speed / --Phe-Leu-Ser-Ala-Gln-Val-Pro-Phe-Val-Hist--
Super strength / --Ala-Ser-Leu-Leu-Ile-Ser-Arg-Pro-Glu-Ala--
Agility / --Ala-Arg-Leu-Leu-Ile-Ser-Arg-Pro-Glu-Ala--
Regeneration / --Thr-Leu-Val-Pro-Hist-Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala-Tyr--
Supervision / --Leu-Phe-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Asp-Arg-Ala-Ala-Ala--
Super Hearing / --Leu-Phe-Ile-Leu-Tyr-Asp-Arg-Ala-Ala-Ala--
Telekinesis / --Ser-Pro-Thr-Ala-Tyr-Cys-Val-Ile-Leu-Phe--
Telepathy / --Ser-Pro-Thr-Ala-Tyr-Cys-Val-Ile-Leu-Arg--
Psychometry / --Thr-Ala-Tyr-His-Glu-Asp-Lys-Ser-Arg-Gly--
Shapeshifting / --Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Pro-Lys- Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu--
Elasticity / --Leu-Pro-Hist-Arg-Ala-Gly-Leu-Ser-Ala-Lys--
Invisibility / --Ala-Arg-Leu-Leu-Trp-Phe-Ala-Glu-Thr-Arg--

Note:

-Between super strengthAGU-Ser and agilityAGG-Arg (aminoacids correspond to different boxes in the mRNA codon chart)and super vision UUU-Phe and super hearing UUG-Leu there is a change of a single nitrogenous base that changes the amino acid(aminoacids correspond to same boxes in the mRNA codon chart);a mutation causes this. This can be as an introduction or reinforcement on mutations and the importance of taking the time to correctly read the mRNA codon chart.

-In regeneration you can use the repeated sequence of Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala to reference how some proteins can have repetitions of the same aminoacids. At the same time you can reference that mutations in which a base repeats more than usual can cause lethal disease such as Huntington’s disease. Clarify this is a hypothetical case and that Huntington’s is not the repetitions of Ala.

-Between telekinesis and telepathy you can see that Cys is coded by bothUGC and UCC; but each of them end in different aminoacids thus super powers. Great opportunity to reinforce the importance of taking the time to correctly read the mRNA codon chart.

-As extension you could ask students:

Using Shapeshifting super power mRNA, How would the protein been synthesized would be different if instead of CCA coding for Pro the bases are changed toUAA?

--CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC-CCA-AAA-CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC—

--Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Pro-Lys- Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu–

--CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC-UAA-AAA-CUC-CUC-CUC-CUC—

--Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu-Stop-Lys- Leu-Leu-Leu-Leu–

Students should answer that it will stop; the protein cannot be completed.

Sometimes changes/ mutations causes proteins to be cut due to the stop code and this protein would not function correctly.

Describe why you have chosen those super power(s)

Answer may vary.

Before and during the activity reinforce that the description should be a complete sentence focused on positive qualities of the super power.

Use the mRNA sequence of your super hero and write the complimentary DNA chain?

How was the mRNA produced? In which organelle of the cell was the mRNA produced?

mRNA was produced in the process of transcription inside the nucleus.

Explain the role of the mRNA in your super hero

The mRNA role is to code the protein that gives the super hero its powers.

Compare and contrast the mRNA sequence of the super powers “super strength” and “agility”. Are there any changes to the final product? Explain

All codons and aminoacids are the same except for AGU in super strength and AGG in agility that code for different aminoacids and the en results is different powers.

Between super strength AGU-Ser and agilityAGG-Arg (aminoacids correspond to different boxes in the mRNA codon chart), a mutation causes this. This can be as an introduction or reinforcement on mutations.

Look at the super powers “super vision” and “super hearing”. Are there any changes to the final product? Explain

All codons and aminoacids are the same except for UUU in super strength and UUG in agility that code for different aminoacids and the en results is different powers.

Between super vision UUU-Phe and super hearing UUG-Leu there is a change of a single nitrogenous base that changes the amino acid (aminoacids correspond to same box in the mRNA codon chart);a mutation causes this. This can be as an introduction or reinforcement on mutations and the importance of taking the time to correctly read the mRNA codon chart.

Think about two parents homozygous for invisibility & super strength, who recently found they are expecting. Which traits will the baby show?

The baby will show both powers: invisibility and super strength since he or she will have a gene from each parent. Or maybe the combination of those genes could over develop or restrain one of the super powers.

The idea with this question is to relate heredity concepts and deepen students understanding.

Create a flow chart of how your super hero is determined by DNA.

The proteins of your super heroes (where/ where not) a result of transcription and translation.

Give a name to your super hero and complete his/her image

Answer may vary.

Reinforce that this activity will be graded based on the answers to the question 1-11 not on the quality of the drawing.