[Campbell Biology P.511] The "WHAT IF?" section asks how one might investigate whether the h... | Practice Question

The "WHAT IF?" section asks how one might investigate whether the human FOXP2 protein is a key regulator of speech, given amino acid sequences of wild-type human, mutant human, wild-type chimpanzee, and mouse FOXP2 proteins. Which of the following best describes the investigative approach suggested?

  • A: Compare the wild-type human FOXP2 sequence only with the mouse FOXP2 sequence to find similarities.
  • B: Analyze the amino acid sequences of human wild-type and mutant FOXP2 proteins to identify critical changes, then compare these with chimpanzee and mouse FOXP2 sequences to infer evolutionary conservation and functional importance.
  • C: Use only the chimpanzee FOXP2 sequence as a reference to determine if it can regulate human speech, ignoring the human mutant sequence.
  • D: Directly inject each protein into mice and observe their vocalization patterns to determine their function.

Explanation

The "WHAT IF?" section explicitly asks how one would investigate using the given amino acid sequences. This implies a comparative genomic/proteomic approach. By comparing the wild-type and mutant human sequences, one can identify changes related to speech disorders. Comparing these with chimpanzee and mouse sequences provides evolutionary context and helps infer conserved functional regions relevant to vocalization and speech.