Thursday, March 12, 2009

A Word That Defines Me

Methionylglutaminylarginytyrosylglutamylserylleucylphenylalanylalanylglut-aminylleucyllysylglutamylarginyllysylglutamylglycylalanylphenylalanyvalyl-prolylphenylalanylvalythreonylleucylglycylaspartylprolyglycylisoleucylglut-amylglutaminylserylleucyllysylisoleucylaspartylthreonylleucylisoleucylglut-amylalanylglycylalanylaspartylalanylleucylglutamylleucylglycylglycylisoleu-cylprolylphenylalanylserylaspartylprolylleucelalanylaspartyglycylprolythreo-nylisoleucylglutamiylasparaginylalanylthreonylleucylarginylalanylphenylalan-ylalanylglycylvalyltheonylprolylalanylglutaminylcysteinylphenylalanygllutam-ylmethionylleucyalanylleucylisoleucylarginylglutaminyllysylhistidylprolylthre-onylisoleucylpriIylisoleucylglycylleucylleucylmethionyltyrosylalanylasparag-inylleucylvalyphenylalanylasparaginyllysylgyycylisoleucylaspartylglutamylph-enylalanyltyrosylalanylgutaminyllcysteinylglutamyllysylvalylglycylavlylaspart-ylserylvalylleucylvalylalanylaspartylvalyprolylvalylglutaminylglutamyllserylal-anyprolyphenylalanylarginylglutaminylalanylalanylleucylarginylhistidylaspara-ginylvaylalanylprolylisoleucylphenylalanylisoleucylcysteinylprolylprolylaspart-ylalanylaspartylaspartylaspartylleucylleucylarginyglutaminylisoleucylalanyyls-eryltyrosylglycylarginylglycyltyrosylthreonyltyrosylleucylleucylserylarginylal-anylglycylvalythreonylglycylalanylglutamylasparaginylarginylanylalanylleucyl-prolylleucylaspaaginylhistidylleucylvaylalanyllysylleucyllysylglutamyltyrosyla-saraginylglycylphenylalanylglycylisoleucylalanylprolylaspartylglutaminylvalyl-lysylalanylalanylisoleucylaspartylalanylalanyglycylalanylalanyglycylalanylisol-eucylserylglycyserylalanylisoleucylbalyllsylisoleucylisoleucylglutamyyylgluta-minylhistidylasparaginylisoleucylglutamylprolyglutamyllysylmethionylleucyla-lanylalanylleucyllysylvalylphenylalabylvalylglutaminlylprolylmethionyllysylala-nylalanylthreonylarginylserine.


Yes, that is all one word. No, I don't believe even for a second that it is real, but hey, if someone was so bored as to make it up, why not put it to good use?


It’s the scientific name for Tryptophan synthetase, which is a protein containing 267 amino acids. The number of letters it is made up of has been highly debated, but apparently not many people can count correctly. Some say there are 1,864 letters, others say 1,909, and still others say it has more still.


Now here is the Wikipedia definition and explanation of Tryptophan synthetase:

Tryptophan synthase, also known as tryptophan synthetase, is an enzyme found in plants and bacteria, but not in animals, which catalyses the final step in the biosynthesis of tryptophan.
The enzyme isolated from E. coli is an α2β2-tetramer. The two α-subunits are readily detached from the β2-dimer, and the two β-subunits can be separated by treatment with 4 M urea solution. The association of the subunits is promoted by the presence of pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) and serine. Each α-subunit has a molecular mass of 29500: each β-subunit has a molecular mass of 45000 with one PLP binding site.
The different subunits catalyse separate steps in the reactions, as shown in the diagram. Indole 3-glycerolphosphate is converted into indole and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate by the α-subunits, while the β2-dimer catalyses the condensation of indole and serine to produce tryptophan. However, the α2β2-tetramer is 30–100 times more active than the isolated subunits, and does not release free indole during the reaction, since this intermediate is passed between the active sites through a tunnel within the protein, in a process known as substrate channeling.


This word describes me because of how complex it is. And yet, when you get right down to the basics, its really simple. A perfect description, don't you think?


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