How many protiens are there?

Im just curious, but how many protiens are there to fold? Wont we eventually run out of them to fold? Even tho that might take a while.

Take a look at my answer to this question here:

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=2087373#post2087373

Since I wrote this the WU's have gotten much bigger, but I'm sure we are still folding protein fragments.

SBs

This is the data for the human genome only. Take a look at the number of sequences in the genes.
Reference Sequence Properties


Chrom. number Reference accession Sequence length Determined bases*

1 NC_000001.4 245,203,898 218,712,898
2 NC_000002.5 243,315,028 237,043,673
3 NC_000003.5 199,411,731 193,607,218
4 NC_000004.5 191,610,523 186,580,523
5 NC_000005.4 180,967,295 177,524,972
6 NC_000006.5 170,740,541 166,880,540
7 NC_000007.7 158,431,299 154,546,299
8 NC_000008.5 145,908,738 141,694,337
9 NC_000009.5 134,505,819 115,187,714
10 NC_000010.4 135,480,874 130,710,865
11 NC_000011.4 134,978,784 130,709,420
12 NC_000012.5 133,464,434 129,328,332
13 NC_000013.5 114,151,656 95,511,656
14 NC_000014.4 105,311,216 87,191,216
15 NC_000015.4 100,114,055 81,117,055
16 NC_000016.4 89,995,999 79,890,791
17 NC_000017.5 81,691,216 77,480,855
18 NC_000018.4 77,753,510 74,534,531
19 NC_000019.5 63,790,860 55,780,860
20 NC_000020.5 63,644,868 59,424,990
21 NC_000021.3 46,976,537 33,924,742
22 NC_000022.4 49,476,972 34,352,051
X NC_000023.4 152,634,166 147,686,664
Y NC_000024.3 50,961,097 22,761,097
unplaced various 25,263,157 25,062,835

The human body alone has at least 50,000 known and possibly double that number of proteins. Then add a similar number of proteins from plants, animal species, etc, you are looking at several hundred thousand proteins. Each protein as a composite of at least 20 amino acid sequences and consists of a polypeptide backbone with attached side chains. Each type of protein differs in its sequence and number of amino acids; therefore, it is the sequence of the chemically different side chains that makes each protein distinct.

Proteins fold to "inorder to carry out" their biochemical processes. A proper fold equates to a proper action such as insulin's affect on blood sugar utilization. A "bad" fold could lead to insulin not working as it should, or the inducation of a disease such as mad-cow.

The folding project is ONLY beginning to touch the tip of the protein iceberg.

Hope that helps. Sorry not only am I a pc geek, but a biochem/pharmchem graduate.

Hooah!

Just remember. If it's solid and not bone... It's protien.

Hair, nails, skin, tendons, eyeballs, and gonads. All protien, and all very different..

Don't forget to add all VERY important.. lol..

FreakinSyco
(I bet im the only one that laughs at this)