Proteins Flashcards
The central dogma of molecular biology states that:
The flow of genetic information in a cell is:
DNA ⟶ mRNA ⟶ protein
describe how the sequence of amino acids determines how a protein folds
amino acid sequence of each protein contains the information that specifies the native structure and the
pathway to attain that state. Shown in Anfinsen’s experiment.
What is a protein?
non-branching polymer of amino acids.
What are proteins made of?
specific sequence of amino acids.
How amino acids fit together in proteins?
covalent bonds called peptide bonds.
Name a protein involved in cell signalling
Insulin
Name a protein involved in Oxygen transport
haemoglobin
Name a protein involved in Protein digestion
Trypsin
Name a protein involved in Metabolism
Hexokinase
Name a protein involved in Immune protection
Antibodies
Name a protein involved in Energetics
ATP synthase
Name a protein involved in Replication and maintenance
DNA polymerase
Name the amino acid(s) where Their side chain contains a hydroxyl group.
serine,
tyrosine,
threonine
Name the amino acid(s) where Negatively charged at neutral pH.
acidic amino acids – Asp, Glu
Name the amino acid(s) where Relatively poorly soluble in aqueous solution.
non-polar amino acids e.g. Leu,
Ala,
Val etc.
Name the amino acid(s) where Positively charged at neutral pH.
basic amino acids – Lys, Arg
Name the amino acid(s) where Side chains are capable of hydrogen bonding.
Ser, Asn, Gln, Trp, Thr, Cys, Tyr, His, Arg
(also Glu, Asp and Lys in their
unionised forms)
Name the amino acid(s) where Have a basic side-chain.
Arg, Lys, His is sometimes included in the basic amino acids because in a protein
it’s pKa can increase to 7.4
Name the amino acid(s) where Side chains are responsible for the hydrophobic cores of globular proteins.
non-polar amino acids
Name the amino acid(s) where The amides of glutamic acid and aspartic acid.
glutamine,
asparagine
The smallest amino acid (It also lacks a stereoisomer).
alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, glutamine
glycine
An aromatic amino acid.
glutamic acid, tyrosine, isoleucine, serine
tyrosine
A sulfur-containing amino acid.
methionine, aspartic acid, arginine, leucine
methionine
An amino acid capable of forming sulfur-sulfur bonds.
methionine, proline, cysteine, tryptophan
cysteine
Which of these is not a group of amino acids?
(A) Polar
(B) Non-Polar
(C) Non-Polar Charged
(D) Polar Charged
(C) Non-Polar Charged
Explain the terms pKa
acid dissociation constant. pKa = -log10Ka.
The lower the value for pKa the stronger the acid, i.e. the more likely the acid is to be found in its dissociated/deprotonated state.
Explain pI
pH at which the net charge of a protein is zero.
Explain how pKa differs from pI
pKa describes the tendency for a given acid/acidic group to dissociate,
whereas pI is the isoelectric point of a molecule - the pH at which it carries no net charge.
List some common types of amino acid modifications.
Phosphorylation Glycosylation Methylation Adenylation Iodination Metal Binding
Draw a dipeptide and circle the peptide bond.
6.)
C - N
Which molecule is removed during the formation of the peptide bond?
Water
What constraint does the planarity of the peptide bond place on the way in which
proteins can fold?
rigid nature of the planar peptide bond constrains rotations in the polypeptide chain to the bonds around the alpha-carbon.
The most favourable rotations produce the characteristic a-helix and b-sheet structures seen in secondary structure.
Name four main levels of protein structure
primary,
secondary,
tertiary,
quaternary.
Describe Primary structure
amino acid sequence of a protein.
Describe secondary structure
3D arrangement of amino acid residues over a short stretch of sequence.