Genome Music – Barley Hordeum vulgare, Cultivar OWB-D (R Gene)
How ribosomal assembly from mRNA template sounds when the sequence is translated into notes and performed by various instruments
Introduction
The “Adaris Genome Music Project” expands beyond human genes now we venture into the plant kingdom. Before us is a genetic fragment from barley (Hordeum vulgare), cultivar OWB-D, containing an R-gene (resistance gene), partial coding sequence (partial cds).
Plant R-genes play a key role in immunity they activate defense responses, recognize pathogens, and trigger resistance signaling cascades. But if we represent the amino acid assembly of an R-protein as music, we can hear a unique “plant melody” reflecting the biochemistry of defense and growth.
How the Barley R-Gene Melody Is Created
Each mRNA codon is a command to the ribosome, each amino acid a building block of protein. We transfer these building blocks into musical elements.
Musical translation system:
- Hydrophobic amino acids → warm, dense timbres – viola, cello, woodwinds
- Polar amino acids → soft middle notes – piano, marimba
- Charged residues (Lys, Asp, Glu) → bright, “sharp” instruments – violin, flute, metallophone
- R-gene signaling motifs (conserved NBS-LRR domains) → repeating rhythmic patterns
- Start codon → low gong (birth of the protein)
- Stop codon → light percussive “crumbling” chord (assembly completion)
Thus, the R-gene sequence transforms into a musical image of the plant’s immune response.
How the Barley R-Protein Sounds
The sonic landscape obtained from the amino acid sequence reflects:
- Pulsation of defense signals characteristic of R-genes
- Repeating LRR domain motifs creating rhythmic structure
- Transitions between hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids, creating alternation of low and high tones
- Melodic bursts arising from amino acids in activation sites
The composition resembles plant-environment interaction: a quiet rustling introduction, then a tense defensive theme, and a stable, “sustained” finale symbolizing the stability of cultivar OWB-D.
What Do You Hear in This Melody?
This is the “sounded” assembly of a protein chain on the ribosome. Each note corresponds to an amino acid, each instrument reflects chemical properties, and each musical phrase represents protein structure.
The R-protein used by the plant in immunity creates a composition filled with:
- Plant harmony
- Cyclical resistance motifs
- Musical “responses” to external stimuli
- Structural evenness typical of NBS-LRR proteins
This composition is a musical portrait of the plant’s defense mechanism.
Genetic Source
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivar OWB-D (R gene), partial cds
Sequence source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/JQ791250.1