Lecture 5 Information Flashcards
Why do humans need more hemoglobin than earthworms?
Earthworms do not move as much as humans and therefore have a slower rate of metabolism and do not need as much O2
Is ligand binding always good?
No
if a toxin binds to a protein and is brought into the cell through endocytosis, the toxins can integrate themselves into the cell membrane and can potentially cause paralysis
How does insulin work as a ligand?
insulin binds to protein on the cell’s membrane which triggers the cell to uptake glucose for metabolism
Induced fit
the structure that a protein assumes as it binds its ligand
maxmizes interactions between the ligand and the protein
conformational change
What does induced fit have to be?
reversible
want to be able to reuse the proteins that are binding the ligand
Dissociation constant (Kd)
=reactants / products
*opposite of Keq
What does a lower Kd mean?
a stronger binding affinity
more likely to have products than reactants
Theta
the fraction of binding sites that are occupied
[PL] / [PL] + [L]
how many sites are occupied out of the total number of sites
What happens as ligand concentration increases to theta?
Theta generally increases as more ligand sites are occupied
Eventually theta will reach a max and plateau
How can you graphical find Kd?
plot Theta versus Ligand Concentration
look at where the graph crosses 0.5 theta
Why doesn’t theta ever reach 1 and all binding sites occupied?
this would require so many ligands that you would exceed the solubility of the ligands
the ligands would not be soluble at that high of a concentration and actually start precipitating out
why do we need a delivery system for O2?
O2 is not very soluble in water
will cause harmful bubbles in the blood rather than dissolve
need myoglobin to carry this gas through the blood
Why do we use Fe and Cu to bind O2?
these metals bind O2 reversibly
amino acids do not bind O2 reversibly
How is Fe coordinated in myoglobin?
Fe is attached to histidine residue on one side and directly across the O2 binds
This forms a straight line which allows O2 to bind more tightly
How is O2 allowed into the myoglobin complex?
through H-bonding interactions with histidines
CO does not have this same interaction and cannot get into the complex as easily
What is the shape of the curve of binding of myoglobin to oxygen?
hyperbolic curve
increases, reaches a max, and then flattens out
How are hemoglobin’s 4 subunits held together?
by noncovalent interactions
hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, some disulfide, etc.
T state of hemoglobin
low O2 affinity conformation
R state of hemoglobin
high O2 affinity conformation
What does the binding of O2 to hemoglobin do?
changes the conformation of the molecule
Cooperative binding
the binding of one ligand to a subunit affects the structure and the binding affinity of other sites
*same with reverse direction when O2 is lost
What type of curve indicates cooperative binding?
Sigmoid binding curve
Allostery
binding at one site affects the shape of another site
Why do we use hemoglobin and not myoglobin as our primary oxygen carrier?
Myoglobin has a higher affinity for oxygen
Would not release oxygen in deep tissues where it is needed
What 4 things contribute to the binding of hemoglobin to oxygen?
1) pO2
2) pH
3) CO2 concentration in the tissues
4) Binding of BPG
What state does hemoglobin arrive to the lungs in?
arrives in the T-state with BPG attached in central area
What happens when hemoglobin picks up O2 in the lungs?
it switches from T-state to R-state
*BPG is also released before picking up O2
BPG
2,3-bishosphoglycerate
highly negatively charged and binds to positive residues in the central portion of the hemoglobin molecule
allows subunits to be held in the T state
How does pH influence the conformation of hemoglobin?
when CO2 concentration is high (like in the lungs), it becomes HCO3- and H+. These H+ protons lower the pH and can attach to histidine residues on hemoglobin
The histidine residues become positively charged and stabilize a negatively charged aspartate
these interactions help stabilize the T-state
So t-state is favored a lower pHs and O2 will be released
How does CO2 get transported to the lungs?
around 25-30% of CO2 gets transported to the lungs through hemoglobin
CO2 binds to the amino terminus and converts the terminus into a carbonyl group
Why does fetal hemoglobin have a higher affinity for oxygen than maternal hemoglobin?
this facilitates the transfer of oxygen from the mother to the fetus