Chapter 4 - Translation & Protein Structure Flashcards
What is different between amino acids?
their side chains
What is the structure of an amino acid?
central alpha carbon atom, connected by covalent bond to an amino group (NH2) a carboxyl group (COOH), a hydrogen atom (H) and a variable side chain denoted by R.
What happens to the amino group in a cellular environment?
it gains a proton to become NH3^+ and carboxyl group loses a proton to become COO^-
how many different amino acids are most commonly found in proteins?
20
What are hydrophobic amino acids?
they do not readily interact with water or form hydrogen bonds
most have a non polar R group of hydrocarbon chain or uncharged carbon rings
How does the bonding work in hydrophobic amino acids?
water molecules in cell hydrogen bond with each other
hydrophobic R groups aggregate each other but stabilised by weak Van der Waals forces
Where do hydrophobic amino acids tend to reside?
buried within interior folds of proteins
how does bonding work in hydrophilic amino acids?
form hydrogen bonds with water
R group gains proton becomes positively charged
Where are hydrophilic amino acids usually found?
in surface of folded protein molecules
can bind to other charged particles - allows for association with macromolecules like DNA
What are the 3 amino acids with special properties?
glycine, proline, cysteine
What is the R group of glycine?
H
What does glycine’s R group allow for?
small size allows for freer rotation around C-N bond
What does freer rotation enabled by glycine enable?
increases the flexibility of the polypeptide backbone, can be important in the folding of protein
What is special about the R group of proline?
is linked back to the amine group linkage creates a kink or bend in the polypeptide chain and restricts rotation of C-N bond
What does the linkage of amine group in proline cause?
constraints on protein folding in its vicinity
What is the R group of Cysteine?
SH
What can happen when 2 cysteine molecules come close together? what does it allow/mean?
they can react to form a disulfide bond, which covalently joins the side chains = stronger than ionic interactions and form cross bridges that can connect different parts of the same protein or even different proteins
What bonds connect successive amino acids?
peptide bonds
where do peptide bonds form in amino acids? and what is released when they form?
forms between carboxyl group and amino group of amino acid
a molecule of water is released
What is the C=O group in amino acid chain bond?
Carbonyl
What is the N-H group in amino acid chain bond?
amide
how do electrons behave in peptide bond?
they are more attracted to C=O group because of greater electronegativity of oxygen atom.
What are some characteristics of a double bond?
shorter
not free to rotate
What is a polymer of amino acids called?
polypeptide
What is the longest polypeptide?
muscle protein titin at 34,350 amino acids
what are amino acid residues?
amino acids incorporated into proteins
What is primary structure?
sequence of amino acids
What is secondary structure?
interaction between stretches of amino acids
What is tertiary structure?
longer range interactions between secondary structures
What is quaternary structure?
several individual polypeptides that interact with each other
how do secondary structures form?
result from hydrogen bonding in the polypeptide backbone