There are many cats in cat CAT
This SangerArtwork is for lovers of cats and literally has "CAT" written all over it and features the cat at many levels...
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For starters you should be able to see a domestic cat walking through the image. Secondly, the DNA sequence used to create the image is taken from the DNA sequence of the domestic cat (scientific name: Felis catus). Thirdly, the DNA sequence corresponds to the Felis catus CAT gene - CAT being the symbol for the gene encoding the enzyme catalase (more on that below).
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The nucleotide bases cytosine, adenine and thymine, commonly referred to by the single letter codes C, A and T represent 3 of the 4 bases that make up DNA. Hence the tri-nucleotide sequence CAT is relatively commonly encountered in nearly all DNA sequences. There are 47 occurrences of CAT in the Felis catus CAT mRNA sequence, all highlighted in the image.
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Like nearly all living things cats make the catalase protein from the catalase (CAT) gene. At a cellular level this involves the processes of transcription and translation (you can read more about these fundamental life processes here). The DNA sequence in the image corresponds to the mature messenger RNA sequence transcribed from the CAT gene of the domestic cat. The catalase protein is an enzyme that catalyses the break down of hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen and water. Catalase is essential for protecting cells from oxidative damage and hence is found commonly in organisms exposed to oxygen. You can read more about catalase here.
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In this artwork I have used a new method to generate the image. Rather than using shadowing and variations in the intensity or background of the DNA sequence trace to produce the image as in previous SangerArtworks, I have used variations in the height of the individual coloured peaks to generate the image.
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In the bottom right corner you can see details of the DNA sequence used to create the image. It corresponds to bases 1 to 2449 of GenBank accession number XM_003993157.4, which contains the sequence of the Felis catus catalase (CAT) mRNA. Bases 113 to 1696 correspond to the coding sequence (CDS) of the gene (the part that is translated into the catalase protein). I have used the sequence from base 2450 onwards to firstly encode the name of the artwork in a "Sangerism" and secondly to sign and date it using a hidden "Sangerism". See below for enlarged sections of the image.
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You can purchase this artwork in a number of different formats from Society6 using the link below.
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