Overview

CS502 - Project 1

>Objective

Compare the sequences of Abrin and Ricin -- two toxic proteins found naturally in the rosary pea and castor oil plan -- explain how closely related they are and how they are being compared.

Biological Entries

Datasources

UniProt

Entries

Ricin

  • Toxic protein found naturally in the seeds of the Castor Beans Plan (Ricinus Communis)
  • Causes illness by getting inside the cells and preventing the organism from creating other required proteins. Eventually, cells start to die.
  • The effects depend on whether it was inhaled, ingested or injected.
  • Even though Ricin is stable substance under normal conditions, it can be inactivated by heat above 170 Fahrenheit.
  • Castor beans genome size has been estimated to by around 320MB.
            10   MKPGGNTIVI WMYAVATWLC FGSTSGWSFT LEDNNIFPKQ YPIINFTTAG  50 

            60   ATVQSYTNFI RAVRGRLTTG ADVRHEIPVL PNRVGLPINQ RFILVELSNH  100 

            110  AELSVTLALD VTNAYVVGYR AGNSAYFFHP DNQEDAEAIT HLFTDVQNRY  150 

            160  TFAFGGNYDR LEQLAGNLRE NIELGNGPLE EAISALYYYS TGGTQLPTLA  200 

            210  RSFIICIQMI SEAARFQYIE GEMRTRIRYN RRSAPDPSVI TLENSWGRLS  250 

            260  TAIQESNQGA FASPIQLQRR NGSKFSVYDV SILIPIIALM VYRCAPPPSS  300 

            310  QFSLLIRPVV PNFNADVCMD PEPIVRIVGR NGLCVDVRDG RFHNGNAIQL  350 

            360  WPCKSNTDAN QLWTLKRDNT IRSNGKCLTT YGYSPGVYVM IYDCNTAATD  400 

            410  ATRWQIWDNG TIINPRSSLV LAATSGNSGT TLTVQTNIYA VSQGWLPTNN  450

            460  TQPFVTTIVG LYGLCLQANS GQVWIEDCSS EKAEQQWALY ADGSIRPQQN  500

            510  RDNCLTSDSN IRETVVKILS CGPASSGQRW MFKNDGTILN LYSGLVLDVR  550 

            560  ASDPSLKQII LYPLHGDPNQ IWLPLF                            570

Abrin

  • Toxic protein found in the seeds of the rosary pea.
  • It has been used for experimental purpose to create medicine for cancer.
  • Causes illness by getting inside the cells and preventing the organism from creating other required proteins. Eventually, cells start to die.
  • Very stable substance which can last in any environment, whether hot or cold ones.
            10   QDRPIKFSTE GATSQSYKQF IEALRERLRG GLIHDIPVLP DPTTLQERNR  50 

            60   YITVELSNSD TESIEVGIDV TNAYVVAYRA GTQSYFLRDA PSSASDYLFT  100 

            110  GTDQHSLPFY GTYGDLERWA HQSRQQIPLG LQALTHGISF FRSGGNDNEE  150 

            160  KARTLIVIIQ MVAEAARFRY ISNRVRVSIQ TGTAFQPDAA MISLENNWDN  200 

            210  LSRGVQESVQ DTFPNQVTLT NIRNEPVIVD SLSHPTVAVL ALMLFVCNPP  250 

            260  NANQSPLLIR SIVEKSKICS SRYEPTVRIG GRDGMCVDVY DNGYHNGNRI  300 

            310  IMWKCKDRLE ENQLWTLKSD KTIRSNGKCL TTYGYAPGSY VMIYDCTSAV  350 

            360  AEATYWEIWD NGTIINPKSA LVLSAESSSM GGTLTVQTNE YLMRQGWRTG  400 

            410  NNTSPFVTSI SGYSDLCMQA QGSNVWMADC DSNKKEQQWA LYTDGSIRSV  450

            460  QNTNNCLTSK DHKQGSTILL MGCSNGWASQ RWVFKNDGSI YSLYDDMVMD  500

            510  VKGSDPSLKQ IILWPYTGKP NQIWLTLF                          520

Comparison

Sequence Alignment

How are this two sequences being compared?

Align, a tool provided by UniProt allows us to make a global alignment of the two sequences and see similarities. The tool uses the multi-sequence alignment program called Clustal Omega.


Which is the "distance"?

The algorithm gives us the following comparison results:

Identical positions 262
Identity 45.407%
Similarity 141

Global Alignment


 

Global Alignment - Similarities Highlighted


Thank you!