Question

The average molecular weight of proteins encoded in the human genome is about 50,000. A few proteins are very much larger than this average. For example, the protein called titin, which is made by muscle cells, has a molecular weight of 3,000,000. Estimate how long it will take a muscle cell to translate an mRNA coding for an average protein and one coding for titin. The average molecular mass of amino acids is about 110 daltons. Assume that the translation rate is two amino acids per second.

Answer 1

Answer:

13,636 seconds = 227.3 minutes = 3.79 hours

Explanation:

The titin protein has a molecular weight of 3,000,000 daltons, while the average molecular mass of one amino acid is 110 daltons, so it is expected that this protein is composed of 27,273 amino acids (3,000,000 daltons/110 daltons = 27,272.72). Moreover, and since the translation rate is two amino acids per sec, it is expected that the protein will be synthesized in approximately 3.79 hours (27,272.72/2 = 13,636 seconds = 227.3 minutes = 3.79 hours).