The GULO Gene Where did our ability to synthesize Vitamin C get lost? Andrea Ochadlick and Gail Rosen Drexel University’s High School Mentorship Program GULO & GULOP Genbank BLAST Organisms compared MATLAB Nucleotide Density 81% Rat (Gulo) 91% Guinea Pig (GuloP) 20% Dog (Gulo) 91% Pig (GuloP) Percent identity Organism GULO •98% of organisms can synthesize their own Vitamin C •The GULO gene allows Vitamin C synthesis •Millions of years ago a mutation caused humans, and other mammals, to lose the ability to synthesize this gene •Now humans must intake a sufficient amount of Vitamin C to survive GULO Pseudo gene •GULOP •A non-functional gene which doesn’t allow Vitamin C synthesis •Almost identical to functional gene •Contains a mutation that change the gene and its abilities Organisms Compared to Human Basic Local Alignment Search Tool •Compares biological sequence information •Amino acid sequences of different proteins •Nucleotides of DNA sequences •Allows comparison of a sequence with a library of databases that resembles the main sequence BLAST with GULO •Used to compare two organisms’ GULO gene sequence to each other •Found similarities in sequence •Showed percent identity and number of base pairs (bp- two nucleotides on opposite complementary DNA or RNA strands that are connected by hydrogen bonds Genbank is… •Publicly available nucleotide sequence and protein translation •Continues to grow; doubles every ten months •Receives sequences produced in laboratories throughout the world Nucleotide Density: Dog Nucleotide Density: Guinea Pig 158 Pig (GuloP) 4612 Guinea pig (GuloP) 23330 Rat (Gulo) Base pairs Organism 107 Human (GuloP) 31789 Dog (Gulo) Base Pairs •Shown here is a base pairs chart. Organisms without the GULO gene essentially have the least amount of base pairs This is a common snap shot of what can be seen on Genbank. It is one of the many things that can be accomplished on this database. This shows sequence of the GULO gene in pigs. •To show the similarities between organisms and the GULO gene, the percent identity is shown •Percent Identity- percent that a gene relates to another that it is being compared to •It is seen here that the organisms that can not simulate their own Vitamin C, relate the most to the human Animals researched that…. Can synthesize their own Vitamin C •Dog •Rat Cannot synthesize their own Vitamin C •Pig •Human •Guinea Pig Background •Numerical computing environment and programming language •Created by the MathWorks •Plots functions and data •Implementation of algorithms For this project •A basic understanding of MATLAB was needed •Used for helping with DNA •Comparing •Analyzing •Density charts •Sequences •Random sequences of DNA Genbank •DNA sequences found in Genbank •Sequences of GULO gene save as FASTA file MATLAB •Sequences opened in MATLAB •Ntdensity command used •Nucleotide density chart shown Nucleotide Density Charts •Shows percent of each base throughout the gene •Allows comparison of bases in different gene sequences Results Conclusion •When comparing different organisms with or without the GULO gene, the GULOP sequence is shorter than the GULO gene. •Using Genbank and BLAST, the GULOP sequence has higher percent identities to humans. •With the help of MATLAB, the nucleotide densities are more consistent in GULOP rather than GULO genes. •In this study, we investigated why a pig, guinea pig and human cannot synthesize their own Vitamin C •A dog and rat have the ability to synthesize their own Vitamin C •Organisms with the GULO gene have less base pairs in common with organisms without the GULO gene •When comparing to humans, organisms without the GULO gene have a higher percent identity that those with the gene
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The GULO GeneWhere did our ability to synthesize Vitamin C get
lost?Andrea Ochadlick and Gail Rosen
Drexel University’s High School Mentorship Program
GULO & GULOP Genbank BLAST
Organisms compared MATLAB Nucleotide Density
81%Rat (Gulo)91%Guinea Pig (GuloP)
20%Dog (Gulo)
91%Pig (GuloP)Percent identityOrganism
GULO•98% of organisms can synthesize their own Vitamin C•The GULO gene allows Vitamin C synthesis•Millions of years ago a mutation caused humans, and other mammals, tolose the ability to synthesize this gene•Now humans must intake a sufficient amount of Vitamin C to surviveGULO Pseudo gene•GULOP•A non-functional gene which doesn’t allow Vitamin C synthesis•Almost identical to functional gene•Contains a mutation that change the gene and its abilities
Organisms Compared to Human
Basic Local Alignment Search Tool•Compares biological sequence information
•Amino acid sequences of different proteins•Nucleotides of DNA sequences
•Allows comparison of a sequence with a library of databases thatresembles the main sequenceBLAST with GULO•Used to compare two organisms’ GULO gene sequence to each other•Found similarities in sequence•Showed percent identity and number of base pairs (bp- two nucleotideson opposite complementary DNA or RNA strands that are connected byhydrogen bonds
Genbank is…•Publicly available nucleotide sequence and protein translation•Continues to grow; doubles every ten months•Receives sequences produced in laboratories throughout the world
Nucleotide Density: Dog Nucleotide Density: Guinea Pig
158Pig (GuloP)4612Guinea pig (GuloP)
23330Rat (Gulo)Base pairsOrganism
107Human (GuloP)
31789Dog (Gulo)
Base Pairs•Shown here is a base pairschart. Organisms withoutthe GULO gene essentiallyhave the least amount ofbase pairs
This is a commonsnap shot of whatcan be seen onGenbank. It is oneof the many thingsthat can beaccomplished onthis database. Thisshows sequence ofthe GULO gene inpigs.
•To show the similarities between organisms and the GULO gene,the percent identity is shown•Percent Identity- percent that a gene relates to another that it isbeing compared to•It is seen here that the organisms that can not simulate their ownVitamin C, relate the most to the human
Animals researched that….Can synthesize their own Vitamin C•Dog •Rat
Cannot synthesize their own Vitamin C•Pig•Human•Guinea Pig
Background•Numerical computing environment and programming language•Created by the MathWorks•Plots functions and data•Implementation of algorithms
For this project•A basic understanding of MATLABwas needed•Used for helping with DNA
•Comparing•Analyzing•Density charts•Sequences•Random sequences of DNA
Genbank•DNA sequences found in Genbank•Sequences of GULO gene save asFASTA file
MATLAB•Sequences opened in MATLAB•Ntdensity command used•Nucleotide density chart shown
Nucleotide Density Charts•Shows percent of each base throughout the gene•Allows comparison of bases in different genesequences
Results Conclusion•When comparing different organisms with or without the GULO gene, the GULOP sequence is shorter than theGULO gene.•Using Genbank and BLAST, the GULOP sequence has higher percent identities to humans.•With the help of MATLAB, the nucleotide densities are more consistent in GULOP rather than GULO genes.
•In this study, we investigated why a pig, guinea pig and human cannot synthesize their own Vitamin C•A dog and rat have the ability to synthesize their own Vitamin C•Organisms with the GULO gene have less base pairs in common with organisms without the GULO gene•When comparing to humans, organisms without the GULO gene have a higher percent identity that those with the gene
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