Exam 2 Ch.4: Protein Structure and Function Flashcards
Enzymes
catalyze covalent bond breakage or formation
Structural Proteins
provide mechanical support to cells and tissues
Transport Proteins
carry small molecules or ions and transport them throughout the body
Motor Proteins
generate movement in cells and tissues
Storage Proteins
store amino acids or ions
Signal Proteins
carry extracellular signals from cell to cell
Receptor Proteins
detect signals and transmit them to the cells response machinery
Transcription Regulators
bind to DNA to switch genes on or off
Special-Purpose Proteins
highly variable
Disulfide bond
can form between two cysteine side chains
Primary Level of Protein Structure
Chain of amino acids
What dictates the overall 3D shape of a protein?
side chains
What stabilizes protein conformation?
- the sum of weak forces
-van der Waals, electrostatic attractions, hydrogen bonds,
Backbone to backbone bond
hydrogen bond
What governs specific folding of proteins?
- making the most energetically favorable bonds
- meaning proteins folds into the lowest free energy conformation
- folding is a spontaneous process and will release heat
Example of Spontaneous Protein Folding and Refolding
- Protein is exposed to high concentration of urea
- causes denatured protein
- remove urea
- protein refolds
Chaperone Proteins
- assist with protein folding
- spontaneous folding can be time-consuming so chaperones speed up protein folding rates
- come bind to partly fold chains
Benefit and Drawback of Isolation Chambers
- can help prevent aggregation of multiple proteins
- can isolate a single protein
- takes more energy
How do isolation chambers work?
- one polypeptide chain is sequestered by the chaperone
- chamber cap closes chaperone
- isolated polypeptide chain folds correctly
- correctly folded protein is released when cap dissociates
What stage is a protein done in the chaperone protein?
depends because proteins show incredible structural diversity
What are some basic functions of proteins?
transport, structure, signaling, catalyzing reactions
For a polypeptide chain:
What is the structure of its backbone?
Which end is the 1st amino acid? The last?
- they have an N-C-C backbone
- 1st amino acid is the N-terminus
- last amino acid is the C-terminus
What are the forces that govern a strict and specific folding pattern of a single protein?
- proteins folding into the lowest free energy conformation to make the most energetically favorable bonds
What bonds are responsible for protein folding? Where can these bonds occur?
- weak forces such as electrostatic attractions, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals are responsible for protein folding
- they can occur backbone to backbone, backbone to side chain, side chain to side chain
Secondary Protein Structure
Alpha helix and beta sheet
What stabilizes alpha helices?
- stabilized by hydrogen bonding along the backbone
Structure of Alpha helices?
- amino and carboxyl groups of every 4th amino acid engage in hydrogen bonding
- r groups pointed outwards
- can be right or left handed
bonds from backbone to backbone
hydrogen bond between atoms of two peptide bonds
backbone to side chain
hydrogen bond between atoms of a peptide bond and an amino acid side chain
side chain to side chain
hydrogen bond between atoms of two amino acid side chains
Tertiary Protein Structure
- 3D arrangement of secondary structures
Why is it good that the R groups in alpha helices point outward?
- Because alpha helices are commonly found in membranes
- Hydrophobic R-groups point outward away from the core of the helix and towards hydrophobic membrane
- backbone is typically hydrophilic
What forms coiled- coils and why are they beneficial?
-2-7 alpha helices can form coiled- coils
- helices wrap around each other to minimizes exposure of hydrophobic amino acids side chains to aqueous environment
What holds together beta sheets?
- held together by hydrogen bonds between the strands (backbone of strand)
Direction of beta sheets and r groups?
R-groups poke out on alternating sides (pleated) (top-bottom-top-bottom…)
-can be parallel or antiparallel
Consequence of misfolding proteins?
- can lead to aberrant protein structures which build up and lead to cell death
- causes diseases like Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, Huntingtons
Example of misfolding causing disease?
In Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease, insoluble amyloid fibers are made from misfiled alpha-synuclein, which builds up to a toxic concentration and kills neurons
What are prions?
an infectious form of misfodled proteins
- Ex: mad-cow disease, chronic wasting disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
How do prions work?
can induce normal proteins of the same type to misfiled in to the same misfolded form
What would the differences in R-groups be between an alpha-helix in a cytoplasmic protein versus an alpha-helix in a transmembrane protein?
cytoplasmic protein: alpha helices in a coiled coil to minimize exposure of hydrophobic amino acid side chains to aqueous environment
transmembrane protein: hydrophobic r-groups point outward away from the core of the helix, backbone is usually hydrophilic