Posted: Jul 23, 2010 12:18 am
Shrunk:
Please demonstrate, in precise detail down to the molecular level, the process by which the flagellar hook was "designed".
Obviously the sequence of nucleotides required to produce the structure of a hook proteins is contained in the genome. Here it is (FlgE):
atggccttttctcaagcggttagcggattaaacgctgccgccaccaacctcgatgttatt
ggcaacaatatcgccaactccgccacctacggctttaaatcaggcacggcctcttttgcc
gatatgtttgccggttcgaaagtgggactgggggtaaaagttgccggtatcactcaggac
tttaccgatggcacgaccaccaacaccgggcgaggtctggacgttgctatcagccagaac
ggttttttccgtctggtagacagcaacggttcggtgttctacagccgtaacggacaattt
aagctggatgaaaaccgtaacctggtgaatatgcaaggtttacagctgacgggttacccg
gcaaccggtacgccgccgactattcagcaaggggcgaatccgaccaatatttcgatcccg
aataccctgatggcagcgaaaactaccaccacggcatcgatgcagatcaacctgaattcc
agtgatccgcttcctactgttacgccattcagcgccagcaatgcggatagctataacaaa
aaaggttcggtgactgttttcgacagtcagggtaatgctcatgacatgagcgtctacttt
gtgaagaccggggataataactggcaggtctacacccaggatagcagtgatccaaacagc
attgcgaagacagcgacaacactggaatttaatgctaatggcacattagtggatggtgcg
atggcgaataatatcgcaaccggcgcaattaacggtgcagaacccgccacgtttagtctg
agcttcctcaactccatgcagcaaaataccggcgctaacaatattgtggcaaccacccag
aacggctacaaaccgggcgatctggtgagttatcaaatcaatgatgacggtacggttgtc
ggcaactattccaacgaacaaacccaactgctggggcagattgtactggcgaactttgcc
aacaacgaaggtctggcatccgaaggcgacaacgtctggtctgcgacgcaatcttctggc
gtggcgctgttggggacagccgggacgggaaactttggcaccctgaccaacggtgcgctg
gaagcgtccaacgtcgatctcagtaaagaactggtcaatatgatcgttgcccagcgtaac
tatcagtctaacgcccagaccatcaaaacccaggaccagatcctcaacacgctggttaac
ttacgctaa
This code is not the cause but just the means by which the hook is able to be formed. Likewise there are other sequences involved in the hook's formation and function. There are also epigenetic factors making a contribution. Like all the other flagellar proteins the hook protein needs to be made in precise quantities. Everything has to be finely orchestated especially in peritrichous (multi-flagellated) bacteria.
If we look at human engineering over the centuries, in the early days human involvement was hands-on throughout the process of manufacture and function of machines. The more we advance the less direct involvement there is. In other words, if we didn't know better, it wouldn't always be obvious that there was a human involved at all. But one thing we can be sure about is that all the machines around us had their origin in human minds.
Given the evidence, I believe that all the biological orchestration we see going on originates in mind, and mind far superior to anything we are capable of.
Just for interest here is the sequence for FlgG, one of the hook protein's homologs:
atgatcagttcattatggatcgccaaaacgggccttgacgcccagcaaaccaatatggac
gtcattgccaacaacctggcaaacgtcagtactaacggttttaagcgtcagcgcgcggtg
tttgaagatctgctttatcaaaccattcgccagccgggggcacagtcttccgaacaaacc
accttaccctccggattacaaatcggcacgggggtacgcccggtcgccactgaacgctta
cacagccagggaaacctgtcgcagaccaacaacagcaaagatgtcgcgattaaagggcag
ggctttttccaggtgatgttgccagatggttcatcagcctatacccgtgacggctctttc
caggtggatcagaacgggcagctggtgacggctggtggttttcaggtgcagccagcgatc
accattccggcgaatgcgttaagtatcaccatcggtcgtgatggcgtggtcagcgtaacc
caacaaggccaggcagctccggttcaggttgggcagctcaatctcaccacctttatgaat
gacaccgggctggagagcattggcgaaaacctctacaccgaaacgcaatcctctggtgca
ccgaacgaaagcacgccgggcctgaacggcgcgggactgctgtatcaagggtatgttgaa
acgtctaacgtcaacgtggcggaagaactggtcaatatgattcaggtgcaacgcgcttac
gaaatcaacagtaaagcggtgtccaccaccgatcagatgctgcaaaaactgacgcaactc
taa