Genetic Sequences May Be Useful in Predicting Protein Structure Because

Question

Genetic sequences may be useful in predicting protein structure because
A) there is a high statistical frequency of specific amino acids within a given secondary structure
B) the folding of the protein is based on how the mRNA folds.
C) the physical and energetic properties of the DNA influence protein folding.
D) knowing what specific codons are used for each amino acid in the protein can help predict its structure.

Accepted Answer

Genetic sequences may be useful in predicting protein structure because there is a high statistical frequency of specific amino acids within a given secondary structure. For example, alpha helices tend to have a high frequency of helix-promoting amino acids, such as alanine and leucine, while beta sheets tend to have a high frequency of beta-sheet-promoting amino acids, such as glycine and proline. Thus, by analyzing the genetic sequence of a protein, one can make predictions about its secondary structure based on the frequency of certain amino acids.