Exam 2 Flashcards
What are the three steps of protein sequencing?
- Break disulfide bonds
2.fragment protein chains - Use ESI or mass spec to determine sequence
What is the purpose of protein sequencing?
To determine the primary structure of a protein from N-C
How is a full fragment reconstructed?
By looking for overlap between the sequences of each fragment
What is an endopeptidase?
It is an enzyme that recognizes and cleaves certain amino acids
Do all endopeptidases have the same specificity?
NO!
What bond does the endopeptidase break?
The peptide bond in the backbone of the amino acid sequence
What does ESI do?
It allows the mass of the protein to be determined. Keeps the protein in tact, and the charges for each peak are different
How does charge change on an ESI chart?
Decreases to the right
What does tandem MS/MS do?
It breaks up the protein to identify the mass of each individual amino acid, charge stays the same for all peaks
What does MS1 do?
Isolates individual peptides
What does MS2 do?
Separates the fragments and measure m/z
What is the b-series?
N- terminus
What is the y-series?
C-terminus
How are the b and y peaks distinguished from each other?
By their charge!
Are all amino acids able to be determined using MS/MS?
No! some AA’s have identical or similar MW
What is primary structure?
Sequence of amino acids
What is secondary structure?
The local folding/ arrangement of the backbone atoms
ex. B sheets and a helices
What is tertiary structure?
3D structure of the chain, and is a combination of secondary structures
Why are proteins folded?
To minimize steric repulsions and maximize favorable non-covalent interactions
What are the properties of the peptide bond?
Has partial double bond character which restricts rotation of the bond. It is quite rigid/ planar and has a dipole moment
Which configuration of the peptide bond is more favorable?
The trans configuration, minimizes steric clash between R groups
Which amino acid favors the cis conformation?
Proline because the R group is covalently connected to the backbone
What is the psi angle?
The angle around the alpha carbon and the carbonyl carbon bond
What is the phi angle?
The angle around the alpha carbon and the amide nitrogen
What do favorable phi angles do?
minimize repulsion between the R group and the C=O (n-1 AA)
What does the psi angle do?
Minimize repulsion between the R group and the C=O
Why are some combinations of psi and phi angles unfavorable?
They cause steric crowding between atoms
Why are some combinations of psi and phi atoms more favorable?
They allow H-bonding interactions along the backbone
What is a Ramachandron plot?
It shows the POSSIble distribution of allowed psi and phi angle combinations
What characteristics do all regular secondary structures have?
Phi and psi angles, hydrogen bond patterns
What is an alpha helix?
A secondary structure that is right-handed and proceeds up and to the right. One turn is 3.6 residues.
What hydrogen bonds in an alpha helix?
The nth residue carbonyl oxygen to the N-H from the n+4 residue
How do side chains project in an alpha helix?
The project outwards and down
Is there a net dipole in an alpha helix?
Yes, goes from the N-terminus to the C-terminus
What is a helical wheel?
A diagram that shows the 3D arrangement of sidechains in an alpha helix. They often have complementary properties like ability to h-bond, or positive and negative charge
Is the core of an alpha helix tightly packed?
Yes! The backbone atoms are in contact via van der waals contact
What is a beta strand?
A stretch of polypeptide in an extended conformation
What is a beta sheet?
Formed from H-bonding between B strands
How are B sheets and A helices similar?
Both secondary structures and have H-bonding between backbone atoms
How are B sheets and A helices different?
B sheets are more extended and also have H-bonding between neighboring B strands
Which B sheet conformation is more stable and why?
Antiparallel is more stable because of the orientation of the atoms in the H-bond. They are in a straight line rather than angled.
What are strong helix formers?
Small hydrophobic residues like alanine
What amino acid is not favored in A helix or B sheet?
Proline because it cannot form H-bonds with other backbone atoms
Which amino acid is also not favored in a helix?
Glycine because it has large conformational flexibility and the incorporation limits disorder and is entropically unfavorable
What is tertiary structure in regards to secondary structure?
The combination of different secondary structures
What is a B turn?
It is the simplest turn in a polypeptide, and is comprised of 4 amino acids. Different types exist via the arrangement of atoms, and certain positions are enriched by certain amino acids
What is the difference between the Type 1 and Type 2 B turn?
The second amino acid in the turn is often a proline, which causes the peptide to kink. This kink is stabilized by H-bonding between N and N+4. The difference is the orientation of the carbonyl on the second amino acid. For Type 2, the oxygen crowds the beta carbon on the third amino acid. So to reduce this strain, the third amino acid is often glycine.
What are the two types of proteins?
Globular and Fibrous
What are the characteristics of a globular protein?
Typically round in shape and somewhat soluble in water
What are the characteristics of a fibrous proteins?
Extended secondary structure and tend to be insoluble in water