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TASK 2 - PORCINE INSULIN
AND HUMAN DIABETES
AUTHORS
Reuben Urban
DESCRIPTION OF TASK
By making a multiple alignment of the amino acid sequences for insulin from a number of different animal species, you will develop an understanding of the phylogenetic relationships between these species with respect to this protein. Using the results students will decide which species would be best utilised as an insulin donor for humans. Using the program Cn3D you will be able to clearly see the 3-dimensional structure of insulin. Students will gain some insight into protein structure and function.
Link to VCE Biology
Unit 3: Outcome 1
• The chemical nature of the cell: The structure and functional diversity of proteins
• Applications of molecular biology in medicine - Design of drugs
Unit 4: Outcome 2
• Evidence for evolution: molecular evidence
• Evolutionary relationships: conservation of genes; genome phylogeny
BACKGROUND
Before recombinant human insulin became available in the early 1980s doctors were treating insulin-dependent diabetics with insulin from various animals. This was done by making extracts from the pancreatic tissue of these animals. Using non-human insulin had various side effects. By using insulin that was most closely related to human insulin the side effects were reduced.
MATERIALS
1. PowerPoint
presentation to lead you through this exercise.
2. Cn3D - available through slide 13 of the presentation
or you may prefer to download it onto the class computers
prior to starting this session from the URL address
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Structure/index.shtml
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