Biochemistry semester 1 Flashcards
What is Hunds Rule?
When 2 or more orbitals of equal energy and available electrons will be placed in turn into each orbital until they are both half filled.
What is hybridisation?
Combining of two pure atomic orbitals to make a new orbital which is more stable than pure atomic orbitals.
What does more s character in a bond correlate too?
More s character means that the bond is shorter, stronger and has a larger bond angle.
Do L and D isomers of amino acids have the same stability?
Yes, although all naturally occurring amino acids are L isomers.
What bond angles can rotate in a peptide bond?
Alpha Carbon - N and Alpha Carbon - C
Where are disulphide bonds normally found?
The extra cellular domains of proteins where they confer stability.
In the Anfinsen experiment what was the purpose of urea?
It weakened the covalent bonds
In the Anfinsen experiment what was the purpose of B - metcaptoethanol?
It reduces the disulphide bonds.
What is the Levinthal paradox?
The Levinthal parodic states that due to the large amount of degrees of freedom there are an astronomical amounts of possible conformations of a protein.
Where are ionic interactions strongest and why?
In the core of a protein due to the low dielectric constant.
What is the VDW contact distance?
r^-6
Do ionic forces or permenant dipoles greatly stabilise a protein?
Permenant dipoles although they are weaker.
What causes London Dispersion forces?
Non polar small dipoles at the VDW contact distance.
Are hydrogen bonds longer or shorter than covalent bonds?
Longer, so electronegative atoms are kept apart.
When are hydrogen bonds strongest?
When they are linear, for example in DNA. (The donor hydrogen will be along the acceptors lone pair orbital).
Are glutamate and aspatarte hydrogen donors or acceptors?
Acceptors.
Are lysine and arginine hydrogen donors or acceptors?
Donors.
Where are the most hydrogen bonds found in proteins?
Between two main chain atoms.
Why is water not a typical solvent?
- Has a high dielectric constant.
- Low compressibility.
- High specific heat capacity.
- High surface tension.
- High enthalpy of vaporisation.
Does water stabilise non polar substances?
No.
Why does S increase as the protein folds?
Water molecules in caged structures are released.
What drives protein folding?
Non covalent forces of attraction and repulsion.
What is the strongest non covalent interaction in aqueous medium?
Hydrogen bond.
In an alpha helix are all main chain CO and NH groups hydrogen bonded?
Yes.
In an alpha helix hydrogen bonds forms between the CO and the NH group ___ places in front.
4
How can longer alpha helices form?
Multiple helices can intertwine. Normally an alpha helix can not be more than 45A in length.
Are alpha helices left or right handed?
Right.
Do helices carry a macro dipole?
Yes, the amine end is positive.
How many residues are there per turn in an alpha helix?
3.6
What degree of rotation is there per turn in an alpha helix?
100
What is the rise in an alpha helix?
1.5A
Are helices amphiphilic?
Yes, but in a transmembrane protein it can also all be hydrophobic.
What angle are antiparallel beta sheets found at?
90 degrees.
What angle are parallel beta sheets found at?
Slightly offset.
Why do beta sheets sometimes adapt a twisted shape?
There can be steric repulsion in the backbone and side chain atoms.
How is a beta turn achieved?
A hydrogen bound between a CO and NH group which is 3 places ahead.
Why would a beta turn need to be achieved?
When a universal change in direction is required.
What is the Pauli Exclusion Principle?
That each orbital can hold two electrons with opposite spin
Name three examples of super secondary structure.
B-A-B unit
B hairpin
A-A motif
How long does an amino acid chain need to be to form domains?
At least 200 residues.
What occupies the cleft between domains?
Binding sites
How many layers of structure are found in domains and why?
2+ to bury hydrophobic residues.
What is the immunoglobulin fold held together by?
Disulphide bridges.
What is the immunoglobulin fold compromised off?
Antiparallel beta sheets surrounding a hydrophobic core.
What makes up the quaternary structure?
More than one polypeptide chain associated non covalently.
What type of tetramer is heamoglobin?
2a2b
What is an Oligomer?
A monomer whose molecules consist of relatively few repeating units.
What is an allosteric interaction?
When the binding of a ligand to one unit can affect the affinity of the ligand to the other unit.
What are post translational modifications?
Covalent modification of amino acid side cabins.
What type of group is
Phosphorylated?
Hydroxyl groups
Is phosphorylation reversible?
Yes
Glycosalation acts on which molecules?
Proteins that have been secreted.
What amino acid is often involved in glycosalation?
Asparagine
What does glycosalation allow?
An increase in hydrophilicity.
What is the post translational modification of proline called and what is it’s purpose?
Hydroxyproline
It strengthens newly formed collagen fibres, also preventing scurvy.
Y- Carboxyglutamate acts on residues in which molecule?
Prothrombin
Lack of which vitamin results in insufficient carboxylation of glutamate molecules?
Vitamin A
Protein families have similar amino acid sequences and structure, but different what?
Substrate affinity.
What is the serine protease family made up off?
Chymotrypsin, trypsin and elastase. All of these have an almost identical 3D structure.
What can give a protein extra function?
Tightly bound molecules.
What is the definition of a supersecondary structure?
The packaging of secondary structure elements into local modules.
What is the definition of a domain?
The assembly of part of a polypeptide chain into a compact globular structure, often with a specific function.
What is a nucleophile?
An electron donor.
What is an electrophile?
An electron acceptor.
What effect does nucleophilic substitution have on a molecule?
It inverts chirality.
What does glutamate dehydrogenase allow?
The oxidative deamination of glutamate into alpha- ketoglutamate.
How many subunits does glutamate dehydrogenase have?
6 - it is a hexamer.
Each subunit has 2 domains and a cleft between these to bind NAD+.
What stabalises the pyro phosphate group on NAD+?
A helix dipole.