Amino Acid Chemistry Flashcards
What are amino acids used for?
Major metabolites
Neurotransmitters
Signalling molecules
Building blocks of proteins
What are amino acids?
Organic molecules
Ampholytes
Alpha-amino carboxylic acid
Where did amino acids come from?
First appeared 4b years ago
Over 500 found in nature
Only 22 used in protein synthesis
Only 20 are common to all organisms
What is polarity?
The distribution of charge across a molecule
How is polarity caused?
The bonding of two different electronegativities
How does an atom become non polar?
When the distribution of electrons is even
How does an atom become polar?
When the distribution of atoms is uneven
What is pH?
How many hydrogen ions (protons) are in the solution
What is pKa
How acidic a compound is at a given pH - Lower the pKa, stronger the acid
Acidic amino acids have what pKa?
<7.4
Basic amino acids have what pKa?
> 7.4
What happens to acidic groups and basic groups at pH 7.4?
Acidic groups get deprotonated, making them negatively charged
Basic groups will be protonated, making them positively charged
What is a protein?
A polymer of amino acids linked by peptide bonds
How is protein structure formed?
The overall shape and chemical properties of amino acids
What is the primary
A regular polypeptide amino acid chain, single sequence
What is the secondary
Beta pleated sheet
Alpha helix
Hydrogen bonds
What is the tertiary
Three dimensional folding
What is the quaternary
Multiple subunits joining
What determines the protein structure?
The amino acid side chain’s interaction with eachother
How does the protein start to fold?
Water - The charged exterior and non charged interior
What are Disulphide bonds?
Covalent bonds between cysteine residues
Very strong
Cytoplasm is a strong reducing environment
More common in extracellular proteins
What helps proteins to fold?
Chaperones
What is the purpose of the ER?
Helps certain proteins fold, prepares them and performs quality control
How does a mutation cause sickle cell disease?
An Adenine in the Wildtype Haemoglobin is substituted for a Thymine, causing a different amino acid to be coded for, affecting the tertiary and quaternary structure
What is CTFR?
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane receptor
What does the CTFR do?
Transports chloride ions outside of the cell, affecting osmotic balance to attract water, thinning mucous
How many CTFR mutations affect protein folding and trafficking?
1700
What types of drugs are there for CTFR correcting drugs
Correctors
Potentiators
Amplifiers (early stage of testing)
