Question

The protease from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a target of the drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS. The protease has a mechanism similar to that of renin, described in Problem 44, except that renin consists of a single protein with two catalytic Asp residues, whereas the HIV protease consists of two identical subunits, each of which contributes an Asp residue. Is this an example of convergent or divergent evolution?

a. Convergent evolution, since these enzymes use very different substrates.
b. Divergent evolution, since both use an active site Asp residue
c. Divergent evolution, since the 4Ëš structures are similar
d. Convergent evolution, since the protein structures are different

Answer 1

The correct answer is - option D. Convergent evolution since the protein structures are different.

Step-by-step explanation:

These two proteins, the protease from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and renin are not unrelated, however, developed similar characteristics which are their mechanism of action, which suggests that these proteins are convergent protein

In convergent evolution, characteristics appeared to be the same but did not present in a common ancestor. This is an example of functional convergence due to distinct structures catalyzing the same biochemical reaction.