Comparing Protein Structures to Characters in "How I Met Your Mother"

How do the different protein structures compare to the characters found in the popular TV show, "How I Met Your Mother"?

Primary Structure

The primary structure of a protein is the long polymer of linearly connected amino acids, ranging from 50 to 2000 amino acid sequences. This sequence of amino acids will solely determine the 3-d folding pattern of a protein, as well as its unique characteristics.

Ted Mosby is the main character of “How I Met Your Mother.” Similar to the amino acid sequence, Ted Mosby also has a very important purpose in life: to find love, even if it is in the most unassuming and unexpected areas. His antics and stunts in the pursuit of love tend to influence the course of events throughout the show, from within his friend group to throughout the city of New York. While he has a very simple backstory, his actions tend to determine the series of events after he has made an important decision.

Secondary Structure

The secondary structure of a protein consists of the hydrogen bonds that form between the NH and CO groups of the amino acids in a polypeptide. These hydrogen bonds create 3d structures that result in two forms: the alpha helix, which is a rodlike, helical structure that allows the CO groups to be hydrogen-bonded to the NH groups four residues ahead in order to ensure stability in the protein, and the beta sheet, which are strands of the polypeptide chain that lay side by side and are connected by hydrogen bonds. Overall, the secondary structure contributes to the stability of the protein.

Similar to the secondary structure of a protein, Marshall Eriksen is the glue that holds the friend group in “How I Met Your Mother” together. Marshall is a kind, empathetic, generous, caring, and warmhearted individual who is willing to go to extreme lengths to help his friend out. Throughout the show, he is oftentimes the singular person that is holding everyone together, from convincing Robin to move out of the apartment so Ted can move on with his life to helping Barney through his pre-wedding jitters. When the friend group feels fraught with tension, he is the one that tends to remind them of their strength of their bonds, proving that he is the one keep the friendship dynamics strong and stable.

Tertiary Structure

The tertiary structure of a protein is now the 3d structure or conformation of the protein. It consists of R groups that were once far apart now bonded together, in addition to other interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, disulfide bridges, and other hydrophobic interactions. Overall, the tertiary structure is comprised of multiple interactions between secondary structure elements.

Similar to the tertiary structure, Robin Scherbatsky is a complex person, based on both her personality and her relationships with her friends and people outside of her friend group. She is an enthusiastic and passionate news reporter, gaining a variety of eclectic connections through her job, especially her co-hosts. Her interactions with everyone she meets are incredibly complicated, especially involving the love triangle she was in, with Barney Stinson and Ted Mosby, for a majority of the show. In addition, her personality is also very 3-dimensional, when her needs and values don’t often align with her actions.

Quaternary Structure

The quaternary structure consists of more than one polypeptide chain in a protein, making each polypeptide chain a subunit. Myoglobin, for instance, is an example of a quaternary structure. Oftentimes, multiple polypeptide chains are needed to create an actual functioning protein. The quaternary structure is filled with weak interactions between groups, such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and van der Waals interactions.

Similar to the quaternary structure, Barney Stinson is an extremely diverse man in terms of his relationship dynamics, both within his friend group and with “every woman” in New York City. He is known for and proud of his flirtatious behavior and his frequent one night stands with numerous women throughout the city of New York. Thus his interactions are extremely diverse because he meets so many different individuals in a week, sometimes even in a night. However, these interactions are what make up the character of Barney Stinson. His personality is consistently influenced by both his friend group, whom he cherishes tremendously, to his business coworkers, and finally, to the women he meets every night. All of these interactions are separate entities or subunits but put together, they make up Barney Stinson’s wild and eccentric character.