Proteins & Nucleic Acids – Blueprint and Build

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Familial Mediterranean Fever
Proteins & Nucleic Acids – Blueprint and Build

Time To Read

1–2 minutes

Date Last Modified

June 21, 2026

OVERVIEW

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

Quiz

CHART CLUE

Stina’s bloodwork over the years shows sky-high inflammatory markers – even between attacks, when she looks fine. It is a chemistry clue everyone explained away. This module introduces the molecular cast of her disease, each member riding in on its biomolecule class.

The Story

Pyrin is a protein. IL-1 beta is a protein. The instructions for pyrin live in the MEFV gene. This page builds proteinsLarge molecules made of amino acids with various functions in the body. from amino acids, shows how folding determines function, and reveals how a single wrong amino acidThe building blocks of proteins, consisting of an amino group, carboxyl group, and side chain. (M694V) can change everything – then traces the instructions back to DNA. By the end, the cast has names and addresses: pyrin, IL-1 beta, and the MEFV gene on chromosome 16.

From Stina’s chart: Long before anyone said the word “pyrin” to her, the instructions for that one protein were sitting in her DNA, mis-spelled. She just didn’t have the vocabulary yet to know what to ask for.

Compare Stina’s uninfected appendixA small, finger-like pouch attached to the cecum, thought to play a role in immune function. to an infected appendix.

Activity:

We have the cast. But how does a correctly written gene end with a protein folded wrong? Misfolding – and the slow danger of amyloid.

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When Proteins Misfold + Meet the Cast