Protein Structure and Function Flashcards
Main Functions in the cell
Enzymes , Structural , Transport, Storage, Signaling, Receptors, Gene regulation , Special Functions
Rarely the sequence of amino acids is NOT sufficient for determine the function of the protein.
Some proteins require a non-protein molecule to enhence their performance.
What are the four examples of non-protein molecule?
- Cofactors
- Coenzymes
- Prosthetic Groups
- Other modifications
*These groups may be covalently or non-covalently connected with the structure of the protein.
What are the prosthetic groups?
Compound of non-amino acidic nature linked to protein.
ex) Heme group
What is the general term of cofactor indicating?
A functional non-amino acidic component that render(표현하다) possible the enzymatic activity
ex) usually a metal ion or little molecules
What are the coenzymes?
Coenzyme are a class of cofactors, organic molecules with a complex structure required by an enzyme.
- They content vitamins of nucleotide (NAD+, NADP+, FAD, Coenzyme A)
How are the proteins made?
Proteins are made by 20 amino acids linked by peptide bonds.
What is the polypeptide backbone?
Polypeptide backbone is the repeating sequence of the N-C-C- N-C-C … in the peptide bond.
What is the two things which is not part of the backbone or the peptide bond?
- Side chain
2. R-Group
What are the 10 polar amino acids which is hydrophilic?
@Side Chain - Negative 1. Aspartic Acid ( Asp) 2. Glutamic acid (Glu) @Side Chain - Positive 3. Arginine (Arg) 4. Lysine (Lys) 5. Histidine (His) @Side Chain - Uncharged Polar 6. Asparagine (Asn) 7. Glutamine (Gln) 8. Serine (Ser) 9. Theonine (Thr) 10. Tyrosine (Tyr)
What are the 10 nonpolar amino acids which is hydrophobic?
@Side Chain - Nonpolar
- Alanine
- Glycine
- Valanine
- Leusine
- Isoleucine
- Proline
- Phenylalanine
- Methionine
- Tryptophan
- Cysteine
How the Polypeptide backbone made?
- The carboxylic group of one AA(amino acid) can condense with the amino group of another AA.
- Removing water and forming a Covalent C-N Bond.
What are the two thing that the dipeptide has?
- An amine group at one end (the N-terminus)
2. A carboxylic group at the other (the C-terminus)
Is the C=O bond (Peptide bond, in the carbonyl of the peptide group) actually a double bond?
No, actually the electrons forming this double bond are shared (in resonance structure).
Thanks to the resonance, the peptide bond is very similar to a double bond.
- It is shorter than the C-N single bond in a normal amine, but it is longer with respect a double bond.
Is there free rotation around the peptide bond?
No, there is no free rotation around the peptide bond placing C,O,N and H between them in one plane.
Are the polipeptide chain is linear?
No, not linear and rigid.
How the final protein shape is determined?
The Amino acid sequence.
- Conformation : Spatial arrangement of atoms depending on bonds and bond rotations, and it is particularly stable and has the lowest level of free energy.
What is the four weak interactions that the native protein is folded through?
- Hydrophobic interactions
- Hydrogen bonds
- Ionic bonds
- Van der Waals forces
Which makes the protein to loose this conformation?
Particular conditions (Heat, pH, Chemical treatments) by a process of UNFOLDING (Denaturation).
What is the example of primary structure?
Amino acid residues
What is the example of the secondary structure?
Alpha Helix, Beta Sheet
What is the example of the third structure?
Polypeptide chain
What is the example of the quaternary structure?
Assembled subunits
What is the primary structure of a protein refers?
It refers to its amino acid sequence.
How amino acids in peptides and proteins are joined together?
By the peptide bonds.
How the protein sequences are written?
From left to right.
From the protein’s N-terminus to C-terminus.
What is the secondary structure?
It is the local spatial arrangement of polypeptide’s backbone atoms without regard to the conformations of its side chains.
What makes the alpha helix being more stabilizing?
Hydrogen bonds between the backbond carbonyl oxygen and amide nitrogen atoms.
Hydrogen bonds occur with position in residues?
H-bonds occur between residues located in the (n) and (n+4) positions relative to one another
What are the 5 different type of restrictions able to modify the helix stability?
- The electrostatic repulsion and/or actraction between amino acids
- The dimension of R groups
- Interactions between side chains
- Proline residues
- Glycine R-group is too small and destabilizes the helix
What is the tendency of Beta-strands?
Beta-strands tend to occur in pairs or multiple copies in Beta-strands that interact with one another via H-bonds directed perpendicular to the axis of each strand.
How long is Beta-stands in proteins?
Most Beta-stands in proteins are 5-8 aas long.
How many amino acids are consist of Beta-turn?
Beta-turns consist of 3-4 amino acids that form tight bends, where are present Glycine and Proline.
What are the longer connecting segments between Beta-strands called?
Loops
Beta strands can be oriented in anti-parallel or parallel organization.
Describe about anti-parallel and parallel in Beta-sheets.
- Anti-parallel : The polypeptide chain runs organizing different stretchs in opposite direction with respect to the next.
- Parallel : The stretchs are organized in the same direction with long looping sections between them.
While the primary structure is intuitive, it is more complicated to understand how to get the secondary structure.
What determines the secondary structure?
Torsion angles
- alpha-Carbon with N = Phi
- alpha-Carbon with C = Psi
Describe about the value of angles (Phi) and (Psi).
The angles (Phi) and (Psi) can assume values corresponding to a plane angle, with positive and negative values corresponding to the rotation of peptide plane in the CLOCKWISE (Phi) or COUNTER-CLOCKWISE (Psi) direction.
The values of angles (Phi) and (Psi) of every amino acid describe the polypeptide chain conformation.
In Ramachandran Plot, the areas in dark blue represent what?
It represent the conformations sterically allowed (no sterical overlapping).
In Ramachandran Plot, the areas in blue represent what?
It represent the conformations are always possible, but they are at maximum extent of the stability in the context of not good contacts between atoms.
In Ramachandran Plot, the areas in light blue represent what?
It represent they are permitted only those structures just due to the presence of little bulky residues.
What does the Ramachandran plot provides?
- The Ramachandran plot provides and easy way to view the distribution of torsion angles in a protein structure.
- It also provides an overview of excluded regions showing which rotations of the polypeptide are not allowed due to steric hindrance (collisions between atoms).
- The Ramachandran plot of a particular protein may also serve as an important indicator of the quality of its three-dimensional structures.
- In the regions with the most stable structures, is then possible to predict the type of secondary structure always considering the combination of the torsion angles.