Answer to Question #94542 in Genetics for Adisa

Question

Context: multigene families

Explain the evolutionary significance of the P450 cytochrome family and the amylase family and indicate how they provide flexibility to organisms.

Answer 1

Cytochromes P450 are a family of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor that function as monooxygenases. In mammals, these proteins oxidize steroids, fatty acids, and xenobiotics, and are important for the clearance of various compounds, as well as for hormone synthesis and breakdown. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) constitutes a large gene superfamily descended from a single common ancestor. CYP genes are widely distributed in all domains of life from bacteria, archaea, and viruses to higher plants and animals.

Amylases help in starch digestion. It breaks them into glucose units. There are several amylases like saiivary amylase present in the saliva of the mouth . It is also called as the ptyalin. Then their are amylases present in the pancreas Although they differ in location but they perform the same function. Human salivary amylase thus represents a recent product of evolution.