Biochemistry II Flashcards
Why are enzymes studied:
To understand how they work (for their exploitation using modification in biotechnology and Drug Discovery)
and to understand the effects of mutation on their structure (inherited diseases, conditions, and cancer)
What is a Reaction Mechanism:
A diagram describing the flow of electrons through a reaction, from where they are sourced, which bonds are broken, and which are formed and where they end up.
What are the rules of curly arrows?
The base of the arrow begins at the original location of the pair of electrons, the barbed head points to their destination; one barb indicates a single electron, two barbs indicates a pair of electrons (what usually occurs)
Which amino acids contribute to the flow of electrons?
Polar amino acids, Basic amino acids, and Non-polar amino acids.
How many valence electrons does a nitrogen atom have?
3 -> can form 3 sigma bonds, or a sigma and pi bond without requiring excess electrons and the induction of a charge.
What are valence electrons?
Electrons that are available for bonding with other electrons.
What is the effect of orbital hybridisation?
The valence electrons are all contained with in hybridised orbitals which exist at an energy state between the two.
Where are polar amino acids found?
On the exterior of the enzyme and at their active sites.
Where are non polar amino acids found?
On the interior of the enzyme and active sites.
Examples of polar amino acids:
Cysteine (thiol group), Threonine and Serine (hydroxyl group), Aspartic Acid and Glutamic Acid (carboxyl groups), Asparagine and Glutamine (carboxyamide), Histidine (midazole at pH>=7)
Examples of Basic Amino Acids:
Histidine (protonated form), Arginine (guanidium (tri amine), and Lysine (amino group)
What forms the secondary structure of proteins?
Hydrogen bonding between carboxyl groups and hydrogen of amine groups -> forming Alpha helices and beta barrels.
What is the Ka equation?
Ka = [H+][A-]/HA]
10^(pH-pKa) is equal to what?
[A-]/[HA} -> therefore can be used to compare ratio of acid to base.
What is pKa?
-log10(Ka)
What factors determine the acidity of an organic compoud?
The strength of the Y-H bond, The electronegativity of (Y, greater electronegativity increasing acidity), Factors that stabilies Y-(conjugate base) compated to YH (acid), and the nature of the solvent.
What does a greater pKa signify?
Weaker acids
What is generic acid-base catalysis?
Where nucleophiles donate electrons to a molecule other than hydrogen. Acid-base catalysis is when a proton is transferred in going to or from a transition state.
What are the properties of the Acid-Base catalysis seen in Ribonuclease A?
RNase acts as an endonuclease to cleave single stranded RNA into smaller fragments -> a reaction with 18O showed cleavage of the P-O5’ bond -> RNAse A specifically cuts after the pyrimidine base, indicating specific recognition site, uses water for hydrolysis. This reaction has an intermediate product indicating two reaction steps within the mechanism.
How can kinetic studies be used to indicate the presence of pH sensitive amino acid groups?
Measuring the Vmax of a reaction in different pH’s -> peak at 7 suggests Histidine groups.
What are the two key histidine groups within RNase?
His12 and His119
What are the roles of the histidine groups within the RNase active site?
Studies suggest (bell curve vmax-y and pH-x centred around 7) one acts as a general acid and the other a general base (this role is interchangeable).
What is the role of RNase A?
To cleave single-stranded RNA
What is the overall structure of RNase A?
A V-shape made up of 3-alpha helices and a 3-stranded, antiparallel beta-sheet, with each strand joined by 4 SS bridges. The active site is sat within the cleft of the V shape, with His119 on the left interior side, and Lys41 and His12 on the N-terminal coil, but in proximity to the other histidine.
What are the active site residues of RNase?
His119, His12, and Lys41
Why can’t RNase A target purines?
It’s specificity pocket is too small, only allowing binding to pyramdines.
What are the specificity pocket residues of the RNase and what are their purposes??
Threonine 45 -> Hydrogen bonding to the amide group of the aromatic ring.
Phenylalanine 120: forms Vdw contacts with the base.
Serine 123 - hydrogen bonding to aromatic amine.
What is Angiogenin:
A homologue of ribonuclease A used in the treatment of tumours and aids the health of blood vessels.
Describe the initiating of the RNase A Acid-Base Catalysis reaction mechanism?
His12 acts as a base, it donating an electron pair from a conjugate base amine group to the the 2’ hydroxyl group of the ribose ring. An electron pair is then donated from the group’s oxygen to the phosphate, severing it’s bond with the 5’ oxygen; which then attacks the His 119 (acid) amine group, forming a hydroxyl group, attached to the R group/ pyrimidine.
Describe the second (final) step of the RNase A Acid-Base Catalysis reaction mechanism?
The deprotonated His119 residue attacks the hydroxyl-pyrimidine molecule formed during the initiation step. The oxygen of the Hydroxy group attacks the phosphate, cleaving the 2’ phosphate bond. The 2’ Oxygen now has an excess electron pair which then attacks the protonated His12 residue, restoring it as a Bronsted Base.
What are isozymes?
Enzymes which share function but differ by amino acid sequence, they can be distinguished by differences in optimal ph, kinetic properties, or immunology.
What are proteases?
Enzymes that hydrolyse polypeptide chains.
What is a scissile bond?
A bond at which hydrolysis cleavage occurs
What is the repeating unit of amino acids (peptide backbone)
N, Carbon Alpha (with R group), Carbon with Aldehyde Oxygen
What are the major classes of proteases?
Serine Proteases, Thiol/Cysteine Proteases, Metallo Proteases, Aspartyl acid Proteases, Threonine Proteases, Glutamine Proteases.
What are Metallo Proteases?
Metallo Proteases use metal ion cores to aid the catalysis of reactions.
What is the function of a specificity pocket?
To attach to R groups specific to the target substrate. (increase the specifcity of the enyme and aid arrangement)
What are “hill” regions of enzymes?
non-specific binding regions that bind to ketone groups.
What is P1 when counting proteins?
P1 is the main specificity site after which cleavage occurs.
How do you number proteins?
Upstream of the scissile bond count upwards as you count against the substrate protein direction (p1, P2,…)
Downstream of the scissile bond count upwards as you count the following the substrate protein direction. (P1’, P2’, ….’)
Examples of specificity groups:
Phenylalanine (Aromatic, large, hydrophobic), Alanine (very small), Arginine (basic), and Lysine(basic)
Chymotrypsin is an example of what kind of enzyme?
A serine protease.
What is the name of the precursor enzyme of Chymotrypsin?
Chymotrypsinogen.
What are the target sites of Chymotrypsin?
Polypeptide scissile bonds downstream of large aromatic residues.
What is PMSF (testing of chymotrypsin)?
PMSF (phenyl methane sulphonyl fluoride) inhibits serine 195, inhibiting the enzyme totally
What is TPRK (testing of chymotrypsin)?
Inhibitor of His57, stops enzyme functioning
What is the effect of chain folding on active sites?
Chain folding allows for residues which are far apart in the protein sequence to be in proximity of each other.
What 3 residues form the catalytic triad within chymotypsin?
Asp102, His57, and Ser195
What is a catalytic triad?
When an active site has 3 core catalytic amino acids in proximity which directly interact in the enzymatic action.
How does the catalytic triad of chymotrypsin (serine protease) initiate the reaction?
The negatively charged deprotonated aspartic acid residue attracts the hydrogen of the histidine residue, flipping it’s orientation and leaving the nitrogen with the lone pair of electrons to attack and deprotonate the serine residue allowing for it to attack the substrate via nucleophilic addition.
What is an oxyanion hole?
The oxyanion hole is a region of the active site where the backbone amide hydrogens of catalytic residues are positioned to point their catalytic groups at the active site.
Chymotrypsin Mechanism Step 1, following the deprotonation of serine:
The deprotonated Ser 195 attacks the carbon (bound to the amide group), causing the cleavage of the C=O pi bond; The now negatively charged oxygen (stabilised by the oxyanion hole) donates a pair of electrons to the carbon, then donating a pair of electrons to the bound nitrogen, cleaving their bond. Leaving a acyl enzyme intermediate. The Nitrogen with bound R group then attacks the protonated Histidine’s hydrogen, forming an N-terminal group of the amino acid (product 1).
Chymotrypsin Mechanism Step 2, following the deprotonation of serine:
The deprotonated His 57 attacks a water molecule, using a Nitrogen’s lone pair of electrons, which then causes its cleavage, causing an OH molecule to attack the intermediate of nucleophilic addition. Following this the now negatively charged oxygen donates a pair of electrons to the carbon, which then donates a pair of electrons to the Oxygen belonging to the serine, cleaving the intermediate from the enzyme. The negatively charged oxygen then acquires the proton released by the broken down water molecule.
When is histidine 57 protonated in chymotrypsin’s reaction mechanism?
During initiation and and deprotonation of serine 195.
What type of catalysis is the chymotrypsin mechanism?
General Acid-Base catalysis
What are the three groups of Serine protease we are taught about?
Chymotrypsin, Elastase, and Trypsin
What differentiates which substrates can be catalysed by the different serine proteases?
The residues at the specificity sites of these serine proteases.
What substrates are targeted by Chymotrypsin?
Uncharged molecules
What substrates are targeted by Elastase?
Small uncharged molecules -> because of V226, and T216 decreasing the size of its specificity pocket.
What substrates are targeted by Trypsin?
positively charged molecules, because its specificity pocket has a D189 residue (aspartate), which is negatively charged.
How are polypeptide substrates correctly orientated for Acid-Base catalysis by serine proteases?
The substrates main chain oxygen (proton acceptor) and nitrogen (proton donor) are used in hydrogen bonding with the proteases backbone.
What is the effect of increasing the number of specificity pockets of an enzyme?
Increasing specificity to a particular substrate, limiting the number of target substrates.
What are the characteristics of serine proteases?
2 beta barrels, each forming a respective “top” and “bottom” domain, each forming a major helices. They have an alpha helices group and catalytic triad.
For what specific purpose is the oxyanion hole useful for during acid-base catalysis in serine proteases?
The cleavage of the tetrahedral intermediate.
What is a histag?
A tag of 6 histidine residues added to the beginning and end of a protein (N-terminus and C-terminus) used to separate protein via nickel column separation
What is enzyme activation by proteolysis?
Enzymes, such as chymotrypsin, are synthesised in a precursor form known as proenzymes (zymogens) -> proteases will then remove a portion/region of this, activating the enzyme (holoenzyme).
What happens to polypeptide fragments which are cleaved from the backbone?
Disulphide bonds (tertiary structure) interactions will keep the fragments bound, despite interruptions to the main chain sequence, allowing for greater flexibility.
How does the cleavage of Chymotrypsinogen (zymogen) lead to the activation of Chymotrypsin’s active site?
NH3+ group on the N-terminal ile 16 pairs to the Asp194 side chain, altering the confirmations of mainchain residues Gly 193 (correct formation of the oxyanion hole) and Ser 195 (for correct geometry in the in the catalytic triad)
Structure of Proteasome:
Multi-subunit cylindrical complex with an interior cave containing a proteolytically active site, mechanistically belonging to the N-terminal. The core is made up on 28 subunits arranged in 4 stacked rings with 7-fold symmetry.
Threonine Protease mechanism: Step 1 formation of tetrahedral intermediate
Lys 33 Nitrogen’s lone pair of electrons attacks Thr 1’s (threonine) hydroxyl group, the oxygen then attacks the carbonyl group on the substrate by nucleophilic addition.
Threonine Protease mechanism: Step 2 formation of product 1
The negatively charged Oxygen with an excess pair of electrons from the cleavage of their pi bond with the substrate carbon, donates the pair of electrons to the carbon, which then donates it to the adjacent substrate amide group, which then cleaves its scissile bond with the carbon by attacking the positively charge amine of Thr 1, sequestering a proton and leading to cleavage.
Threonine Protease mechanism: Step 3 Attack by water
The now deprotonated Thr 1 amine group attacks a water molecule to restore it’s charge, the remaining OH- then attacks carbonyl bound carbon by nucleophilic addition to form a tetragonal intermediate.
Threonine Protease mechanism: Step 4 Release of Product 2 and restoration of catalyst.
The now negatively charge Oxygen from the carbonyl group uses their excess pair of electrons to attack the carbon, which then attacks the bound enzyme’s oxygen (cleaving the product from the enzyme), which then attacks the excess hydrogen group originally sequestered by Lysine 133.
What is the key difference in the mechanism of cysteine proteases and serine proteases?
Cysteine groups have a thiol group instead of a hydroxyl group. The thiol group more readily acts as a proton donor, because the sulphur is less electronegative, and-so more readily/ more strongly reacts.
What is the general function of cysteine proteases?
Bulk degradation in cell processes suchas apoptosis, parasitic infection, and virus maturation.
What are the catalytic residues in a cysteine protease’s active site?
Cysteine and Histidine.
What is the pKa of Ser and Cys?
Ser Pka = 13, Cys Pka = 8.3.
Cysteine Protease Mechanism: Formation of product 1
The histidine residue’s
basic nitrogen with a lone pair donates the lone pair to bind to Cysteine’s thiol group Hydrogen; The now negatively charged sulphur attacks the carbonyl bound carbon the substrate via nucleophilic addition. The now negatively charged oxygen on the substrate donates a pair of electrons to its bond with the carbon to restore its pi bond, causing the C-N bond to cleave by donating a pair of electrons to the nitrogen, the negatively charged nitrogen then attacks the protonated histidine group (forming product 1) and accepts its excess proton.
Cysteine Protease Mechanism: Formation of product 2
Water enters the system and is attacked by the basic nitrogen of the histidine, causing the OH- to attack the remaining substrate by nucleophilic addition, the negatively charged oxygen then attacks the carbon, however the C-S bond is now cleaved, due to the the other bonds being stronger. The sulphur group now has an excess pair of electrons which is then used to attack the protonated histidine and restore the enzyme.
What are the similarities between deamidation and peptide hydrolysis?
Both use enzymes which use a His/Cys diad to promote hydrolysis of a carbon-nitrogen sigma bond and both have similar arrangements with their carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.
What is the key difference between deamidation and peptide hydrolysis?
In deamidation a terminal amine group is cleaved to form a carboxylic acid, whereas in hydrolysis two amino acids are formed.
What are deamidation enzymes often used for by microorganisms?
They’re often used by pathogenic bacteria as toxins.
What’s a key example of a pathogenic bacteria which uses deamidation enzymes to harm humans?
Burkholderia psuedomallei -> found in many third world countries -> responsible for “whitmore’s disese” -> similar symptoms to TB so often undiagnosed.
What is a method which can be used to increase the resolution of protein analysis?
Once you’ve separated proteins by gel electrophoresis, proceed to rotate the gel by 90’ and then separate it again.
Why can proteomic analysis between pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria of the same species be useful?
Differences in the proteins expressed between the two can provide insight into potential future drug targets.
Give an example of a protein that is a glutamine deamidase?
CNF1, or BPSL1549
What does BPSL15449 target?
elF4A (helicase), preventing protein transcription -. leads to Death.
What are optical isomers?
Non-super imposable structures with the same molecular and structural formula.
What are the characteristics of Acid-Base catalysis?
A metal ion holds residues in place to form structures similar to the oxyanion hole, helping to interact with certain parts of the molecule as it changes position, aiding the collapse of electrons falling back (the 2nd step of catalysis following nucleophilic addition)
What structural characteristics are common amongst Metallo Enzymes?
a c-terminus barrel domain and n-terminus caping domain.
What are the two subgroups of the enolase superfamily?
MLE and Mr groups.
How do the two enolase subgroups differ?
They differ by the residue which carries out the catalysis of their reaction, either using a Lys diad (MLE) or Lys, His, and Asp (MR); they also differ in the specific resiudes used to hold the metal ion.
What is the structural formula of an enolate anion?
CH3CO=CH2
Why do enolate anions form feasibly, despite the unfavourable loss of a C-H bond?
The hydrogen adjacent to the carbonyl group is acidic, donating its pair of electrons to the bound carbon when attacked by a base (metal ion).
What are the two steps of enolase action?
Step 1: Deprotonation by base and transfer of donated pair of electrons from carbon, to carbonyl’s oxygen of carboxylic acid.
Step 2: This process reverses, but because of the strain of the the remaining hydroxyl group is pulled backwards, allowing for the newly bound proton to be brought forward, forming an optical isomer of the original substrate.
Metal Ion catalysis mechanism of Mandelate Racemase:
Lysine residue donates a pair of electrons to sequester the substrate’s acid-like hydrogen -> this electron pair is then donated to the carbonyl oxygen. The negative oxygen formed is held in place by glutamate (via van der waals) and the charge collapses in on itself, cleaving the C=C, causing the restoration of the carbonyl group and the other carbon then recruits a proton from the histidine.
What is the function of the enolase super family?
To switch the chirality
of a substrate (usually switching the chirality of groups on carbon adjacent to a carbonyl.
What ions are used to oxidise/ reduce species?
Hydride ions.
What is the molecule routinely used to source hydride ions?
BH4 (borohydride)
Why isn’t BH4 used for reduction/oxidation in biological systems?
BH4 is very effective, however cannot be used very selectively leading to death, NAD(P)H families of cofactors are used instead as they can be used much more selectively.
What is the structure of NAD(P):
A nicotinamide mononucleotide, phosphate linker, and Adenosine base.
What is significant about the difference between NAD(P) and NAD(P)H?
In the oxidised form, the nicotinamide ring is positively charged with three double bonds, whereas when reduced one of the double bonds is lost, the positive charge is lost, and the ring is no longer planar. The C4 position is out of the plane, with two attached hydrogen groups.
What are the sources of nicotinamide rings?
Nicotinic acid, tryptophan degradation, NAD reuse/ recycling
How does NAD(P)H reduce carbonyl groups?
Nucleophilic attack of a hydride ion (from the nicotinamide ring), this frees a pair of electrons for the carbonyl’s oxygen to attack an acid and sequester a hydrogen.
Why is the positioning of Hydride Transfer very critical?
Hydride Transfer Reactions are very highly stereospecific, the distance and angle at which they occur is critical (3~ 3.5~ Angstroms and 107’) -> this ensures the correct transfer of the hydride.
What are the two systems of Fatty Acid Synthesis?
FAS Type 1: Catalytic Domains of 1 or 2 polypeptides - found in vertebrates
FAS Type 2: In plants and bacteria, multiple discrete polypeptides catalysing each individual enzymatic step.
What is the source of the hydrogen which reduces the NAD(P)H cofactor?
From the enzyme (however this is then restored via other means)
What is the result of the fatty acid elongation cycle?
Each cycle adds 2 extra carbon units to the carbon chain.
What system of fatty acid synthesis is a common target of drugs?
FAS Type 2
What is ACP?
ACP is an Acyl Carrier Protein which allows for the cell to solubilise hydrophobic chains
How does the state of ACP differ between FAS 1 and FAS 2?
In FAS 1 ACP is associated with large machinery; whereas in FAS 2 ACP is separate and freely floating around as it carries the growing fatty acid chain on a fishing-rod like structure until it finds the target enzyme.
Describe the mechanism of beta-ketoacyl reductase:
Uses NAD(P)H to reduce a ketone group into a hydroxyl group.
What is the role of enoyl reductase?
Reduces the double C=C formed by dehydratase in FAS