The largest biological protein ever discovered has been found in a type of seaweed, and the protein, dubbed the “Everest,” plays a key role in fish deaths during algal blooms.
Creator Prymnesium parvum The toxin-producing protein was named “PKZILLA-1” by the team of American scientists who discovered it, after a reptilian monster known for its large size.
Research Methodology P. parvum The evolution of toxin-producing bacteria may also shed light on how previously unknown compounds are synthesized, potentially leading to the development of new medicines and materials.
The PKZILLA-1 protein is composed of an astonishing 45,212 amino acids, far surpassing the approximately 30,000 amino acids that make up the previous record-holding protein. TaichinIt is found in human muscles. By comparison, a more average-sized protein, hemoglobin, contains only 574 amino acids..
Suddenly, the biological scale had to be adjusted while we were still talking about microscopic sizes.
“This expands our understanding of what’s possible in biology.” say Bradley Moore, a marine chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California.
P. parvum It may cause Critical Damage Prymnesium lives in the gills of fish, and scientists are still trying to figure out how this tiny, single-celled organism makes large, complex molecules. Moore and his colleagues used advanced genetic techniques to study how the algae make the Prymnesium toxin.
They found first the two unusually large genes that make PKZILLA-1 and the smaller PKZILLA-2, and then the protein itself – the enzyme that starts the process of making prymnesin through a lengthy chemical process that the scientists meticulously documented.
“We were able to find the genes, and it turns out that this algae is using giant genes to make giant toxic molecules.” say Vikram Shende of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
This new knowledge means scientists are in a better position to stop harmful algal blooms. P. parvumThese algae are found worldwide and can cause significant disruption to aquatic ecosystems.
Algae are an important part of marine life, but when they grow in large numbers due to rising water temperatures or pollution from human activities, they can have devastating effects by poisoning the water and sucking up oxygen.
Gene discovery is especially important here because it could allow us to detect the toxin before it starts to be produced. Water could be tested for the PKZILLA gene in a similar way to how we test for COVID-19.
The researchers believe that the genetic approach used here could potentially be used to identify other algal toxins, and the strategies for assembling the chemicals uncovered in the new study could aid in the development of new medicines and materials.
“By understanding how nature has evolved its chemical wizardry, we as scientists can apply that insight to the development of useful products, like new anti-cancer drugs or new fabrics.” say Moore.
This study Science.
