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If you perform a BLASTP of your Landoltia protein against the human proteome (all the human proteins) and get a number of significant matches with very low E-values, which of the following is a possible function of your protein?

A) Your protein has a conserved function in humans
B) Your protein is involved in a disease pathway
C) Your protein is involved in immune response
D) Your protein is unrelated to human biology

User Hashmush
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Significant matches with low E-values in a BLASTP search suggest that the Landoltia protein has a conserved function in humans. Evolutionary conservation indicates a fundamental role in biology, which is shared across species due to common ancestry and evolutionary pressures to maintain essential functions.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you perform a BLASTP search and find significant matches with very low E-values between your Landoltia protein and human proteins, this indicates a high degree of similarity and suggests that the Landoltia protein sequence has been conserved across species. Therefore, a possible function of your protein could be that A) Your protein has a conserved function in humans.

This is supported by the notion that evolutionary conservation of protein sequences, such as those observed with histones and globins, reflects common ancestry and essential biological functions. Additionally, the use of the same 20 amino acids across all living organisms implies a shared early selection during the course of evolution. The convergence of protein structure, such as motifs and folds, also indicates that recombinational exchange of DNA segments has played a role in the evolution of protein function. As such, a highly evolutionarily conserved protein is typically one that carries out fundamental processes necessary for the survival and proper functioning of cells.

User Ross Brasseaux
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