Alien Encounters!

Guiding Question: What is the relationship between DNA, mRNA, proteins, and actual traits? Background: In the year 2050, an incredible archeological discovery was made in the middle of a remote area of South America. It was an area where a large meteor had struck the Earth. A pile of alien bones was found completely mixed up together. The explorers who made the discovery immediately informed the organization known as Scientific Phenomena Over Our Fabulous Sphere (S. P. O. O. F. S). S. P. O. O. F. S. sent out its best scientists to collect DNA samples. (Yes, these aliens really did have DNA!) The scientists were able to recover small fragments of DNA which they brought back to their labs. After much work, they determined that the DNA fragments represented 9 genes. Purpose: In this activity, you will determine the traits of these unfortunate recovered aliens by analyzing their DNA and determining the amino acid sequences of the resulting small protein fragments. Each fragment is associated with a particular gene and a specific alien characteristic (trait). Procedure: 1. Your teacher will give you a unique DNA sequence. 2. Put the DNA sequence for each gene in the proper location on your data sheet (page 3). 3. Transcribe the DNA for each gene into mRNA. Record these sequences on the line that reads mRNA on your data sheet 4. Translate the mRNA into amino acids using the provided mRNA Codon Chart (top of page 2) Record the amino acid sequence for each gene at the indicated location on your data sheet. 5. Use the Alien Genes chart (bottom of page 2) to determine the traits that are associated with each of your amino acids sequences and write those traits on the data sheet in the indicated location. 6. Complete the Analysis Questions on page 4.

mRNA CODON CHART

ALIEN GENES This table shows the amino acid sequences for the various alien genes and traits. Gene Letter A B C D E Amino Acid Sequence Val-pro-ileu Tryp-pro-ileu Tryp-val-val Ileu-ileu-ser Ser-ala Ser-ser Pro-ser-phe-gly Gln-ser-phe-gly Lys-phe 2 Resulting Characteristic Hairless Hairy fat skinny 4 legs 8 legs Long nose Short nose No antennae

G H I

Lys-leu Pro-ala-ala Pro-ala-asp Pro-ala-val Pro-ala-pro Gln-gln-asp Gln-gln-lys Gly-gly-ileu ala-gly-ileu Ileu-asp-ala Ser-asp-ala

4 antennae Blue skin Red skin Yellow skin Green skin 10 fingers 12 fingers tail No tail 4 eyes 8 eyes

Data Sheet for Alien Gene Analysis NAME Sydney Holt Alien Number Assigned to you by your teacher #18 Is your alien fat or skinny? GENE B DNA ACCCAACAA mRNA UGGGUUGUU Amino Acids Trp; Val; Val Trait Fat What size nose does your alien have? GENE D GTCAGGAAACCC DNA mRNA C A G U C C UUUGGG Amino Acids Gln; Ser; Phe; Gly Trait Short nose What color skin does your alien GENE DNA mRNA Amino Acids Trait F GGACGCCTA C C U, G C G, G A U Pro, Ala; Asp Red skin

Is your alien hairless or hairy? GENE A DNA ACCGGTTAT mRNA UGGCCAATA Amino Acids Trp; Pro; Ileu Trait Hairy Does your alien have 4 legs or 8 legs? GENE C DNA AGCCGA mRNA UCGGCU Amino Acids Ser; Ala Trait 4 legs Does your alien have antennae or not? have? GENE E DNA TTTAAA mRNA Amino Acids Trait A A A, U U U Lys, Phe No antennae

How many fingers does your alien have? GENE G DNA GTCGTCCT A

Does your alien have a tail? GENE H DNA CCCCCCTAT 3

mRNA Amino Acids Trait

C A G, C A G, G A U Gln, Gln, Asp 10 fingers

mRNA Amino Acids Trait

GGG; GGG; AUA Gly, Gly, Ileu Tail

Does your alien have 4 eyes or 8 eyes? GENE I DNA AGCCTACGC mRNA U C G, G A U, G C G Amino Acids Ser; Asp; Ala ` 8 eyes

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS 1. Draw a picture of your alien, making sure to include all relevant (known) traits. You may do this in a drawing program on your computer, or do it on a blank sheet of paper by hand. If done electronically, try to copy/paste it here. If you draw it by hand you may scan it or take a picture with a phone and email or text it to me. I am fine with receiving your picture in any form that you can send it! Be sure to include your aliens genus and species at the top of your drawing and data sheet. 2. Give the tRNA sequences for Gene D.
CAGTCCTTTGGG

3. How does a single change in a nitrogen base alter the formation of a resulting protein? Each sequence of bases is specific to a certain amino acid, so if one base is changed, it alters the entire acid. 4. If you knew a particular amino acid sequence, could you figure out the DNA for that sequence? Why or why not? Not if there was more than one sequence. You could narrow the DNAs down to a few but it would be hard to guess which bases would go together after that. 5. What is the difference between transcription and translation? Transcription describes the process of mRNA being replicated from DNA. Translation requires tRNA and rRNA and transcription produces mRNA. 4

6. What are the roles of the DNA, mRNA, and tRNA in protein synthesis? DNA stores genetic information, mRNA transcribes the DNAs information, tRNA uses the information and brings amino acids together.