the Cell Biology notes

Cell Biology – Article Assignment #2

THE ARTICLE FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT CAN BE FOUND AT: https://jcp.bmj.com/content/73/7/366.long

HOW TO DO THIS ASSIGNMENT-

A. READ THE ARTICLE ASSIGNED. (See the links above)

B. Your answers do not have to be long. For some questions, a sentence may be enough to answer the question. Please limit your answers to a maximum of five sentences per question.

C. Answer all parts of the question for full credit. Only answer the question that is asked.

D. For many (but not all) questions, you may wish to go online, or find information in a book. If you use a source, but you do not cite a source, you will not get any credit for your answer. If you use your textbook, then state “from the text”. If you use your lecture notes, then state “from lecture”. If you use a website, then give me the website after your answer.

E. Use your own words or rephrase the ideas from your source into your own words. I’m interested in whether you understand the material enough to restate it.

F. Plagiarism (copying from a reference) will get you a zero on the entire assignment. Plagiarism is defined here as having 5 or more words in a row directly from a source without using quotation marks.

1. This article is about the Gene of the Month which is “2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus spike protein”.

1a. What does each part of “2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2” mean?

ANSWER

1b. What does “novel coronavirus” mean?

ANSWER

1c. What does “spike protein” mean?

ANSWER

REFERENCE(S):

2a. What does the phrase “protein homology” mean?

ANSWER

2b. Explain how “protein homology” is related to “gene homology”.

ANSWER

REFERENCE(S):

3a. According to this article, how much homology is there between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the spike protein of viruses found in pangolins and bats?

ANSWER

3b. What is a “pangolin”? And what do pangolins and bats have to do with SARS-Co-V-2?

ANSWER

REFERENCE(S):

4a. According to this article, what is the size of the coronavirus (in nm)? ANSWER

4b. According to this article, what is the size of the coronavirus (in mm)? ANSWER

4c. According to this article, what is the size of a spike protein (in nm)? ANSWER

4d. According to this article, what is the size of a spike protein (in mm)? ANSWER

REFERENCE(S):

5a. According to this article, what is the name of the enzyme that copies the viral RNA genome into mRNAs? ANSWER

5b. According to this article, PCR tests for viral infection usually test for which THREE viral proteins? ANSWER

REFERENCE(S):

6a. The spike protein has ANSWER (fill in) amino acids.

6b. The spike protein has a specific quaternary structure which is described as ANSWER

6c. The monomer of a spike protein is ANSWER (fill in) kilodaltons.

REFERENCE(S):

7. The spike protein has a S1 region and an S2 region.

7a. What is the function of the S1 region? ANSWER

7b. What is the function of the S2 region? ANSWER

7c. What it the name of the enzyme that cleaves the spike protein into S1 and S2? ANSWER