This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 564, an undergraduate course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Protein - Motifs
What are Protein Motifs?
Motifs are signatures of protein families and can often be used as tools for the prediction of protein function [1]. Motifs can be used to attempt to predict the function of a gene or its protein product. There are several databases that can be used to obtain information about what motifs may appear throughout a gene sequence. To analyze the CNGA3 motifs I used MEME. This website allows you to enter FASTA sequences from many organisms to see what commonalities there are and what Motifs are present.
Motifs are signatures of protein families and can often be used as tools for the prediction of protein function [1]. Motifs can be used to attempt to predict the function of a gene or its protein product. There are several databases that can be used to obtain information about what motifs may appear throughout a gene sequence. To analyze the CNGA3 motifs I used MEME. This website allows you to enter FASTA sequences from many organisms to see what commonalities there are and what Motifs are present.
CNGA3 Motifs:
Motif #1:
Motif #2:
Discussion:
The results shown above were gathered using MEME. Sequences were added for the CNGA3 protein in humans, mice, zebrafish and drosophila. Determining a proteins motifs can help further understand the function of a gene and resulting protein. It can also provide information on how the sequence differs throughout organisms. These motifs show a lot of very large letters, which means that that specific amino acid is conserved and seen in many organisms.
The results shown above were gathered using MEME. Sequences were added for the CNGA3 protein in humans, mice, zebrafish and drosophila. Determining a proteins motifs can help further understand the function of a gene and resulting protein. It can also provide information on how the sequence differs throughout organisms. These motifs show a lot of very large letters, which means that that specific amino acid is conserved and seen in many organisms.
References:
[1] Patrik D'haeseleer. How does DNA sequence motif discovery work? Nature Biotechnology - 24, 959 - 961 (2006).
[1] Patrik D'haeseleer. How does DNA sequence motif discovery work? Nature Biotechnology - 24, 959 - 961 (2006).