Proteins and Enzymes Flashcards
What is phenylketonuria?
Faulty enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase - can’t break down amino acid phenylalanine and it and its toxic derivatives accumulate in the body resulting in braindamage
What is Haemophilia?
Blood clots less easily due to lack of clotting factor
What constituents make up an amino acid?
Hydrogen atom, amino group, carboxyl group, distinctive R group
Name the non polar amino acids
Glycine, Alanine, Valise, Leucine, Isoleucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan, Proline
Name the polar amino acids
Serine, threonine, cysteine, tyrosine, asparagine, glutamine
Name the acidic (negatively charged) amino acids?
Aspartame, Glutama
Name the acidic (negatively charged) amino acids?
Aspartame, Glutamate
Name the basic (positively charged) amino acids?
Lysine, arginine, histadine
What are the aromatic amino acids?
Phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan
What are the sulphur containing amino acids?
Cysteine, Methionine
Which is an imino acid?
Proline
Amino acids have optical activity, which form are all amino acids found in?
L-isomers
What is the primary structure of a protein, including bonds?
Polypeptide, contains only peptide bonds
What is the secondary structure of a protein?
Spatial arrangements of amino acids in peptide chain, beta pleated sheet or alpha helix, held together by H bonds
What is the tertiary structure of a protein?
3D shape of a protein, held together by H bonds, salt bridges, Van Der Walls forces, Hydrophobic effect, Disulphide bonds
What is the quaternary structure?
Arrangements of different sub units, contains more than 1 polypeptide chain and may include prosthetic groups
What is the name of an amino acid in a polypeptide chain?
A residue
What kind of reaction is a peptide bond formed by?
A condensation reaction, and is a covalent bond, its formed between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of the next
Why does a peptide bond have more rigidity and less mobility than a normal covalent bond?
It has double bond characteristics, resonates between 2 forms, a single bond and double bond
What is the structure of alpha helix?
Main chains from inner part of the rod and side chains extend outwards
How is an alpha helix stabilised?
Hydrogen bonds between the amino and carbonyl groups of the main chain, each carboxyl oxygen is H bonded to the amino group 4 residues ahead in the linear sequence
What is the structure of beta pleated sheet?
R groups point outside of the plane of the sheet, the strands can be parallel or anti parallel
How is beta pleated sheet stabilised?
Stabilised by intrachain H bonds, or by interchain H bonds
In tertiary protein structure, what are salt bridges?
Electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged side chains, called an ion pair
In tertiary protein structure what are van der walls forces?
Non covalent forces of attracting between neutral molecules (dipoles), all amino acids form these
In tertiary protein structure what is the hydrophobic effect?
The most effective factor in stabilising protein structure, hydrophobic residues are buried in the core and hydrophilic residues are on the outside
Which 2 residues do disulphide bonds form between?
Between 2 cysteine residues
How do proteins fold?
Proteins attain their final conformation as the lowest energy and most stable shape in seconds, small regions of relatively stable structure form first with the subsequent development of tertiary structure
Protein misfolding an Alzheimer’s disease?
Amyloid precursor protein on plasma membrane is misfolded, cleaved by enzymes, BACE and PS1 to leave a beta Amyloid which is made up of mostly beta pleated sheet which, this accumulates to form beta Amyloid plaques which damage neurons and cause the symptoms associated with the disease
Protein misfolding and Creutzfeldt Jacob disease?
May be inherited or caused by ingested prison protein, contact of normal, soluble PrPc protein (mostly alpha helical) with abnormal PrPSc (mostly Beta pleated sheet) causes the PrPc protein to acquire the abnormal PrPSc structure. Results in loss of neurological function, memory loss, loss of coordination and language ability. Then eventually coma then death
Why are oxygen binding proteins required?
Oxygen has limited solubility in aqueous solutions
What is myoglobin used for?
Oxygen storage mainly in muscle
What is haemoglobin used for?
Oxygen (and CO2) transport in the blood
What is the brief structure of myoglobin?
Globin protein + haem prosthetic group
What is the brief structure of haemoglobin?
4 sub units, each with one haem group
What are the subunits in adult haemoglobin?
2 alpha and 2 beta chains
What is the structure of the ahem molecule?
Fe2+ and a protoporphyrin ring, iron atom coordinates with 6 ligands: 4 N’s from protoporphyrin ring, N from proximal His and an oxygen atom
Binding of O2 in myoglobin?
Non cooperative
What factors affect affinity of myoglobin for O2?
Not pH or CO2 or BPG affects affinity of myoglobin for O2
Which has a greater affinity for O2, myoglobin or haemoglobin?
Myoglobin, myoglobin is almost saturated at O2 concentrations within tissues
What shape is the O2 binding curve of haemoglobin?
Sigmoidal
What is cooperative binding in haemoglobin?
Binding of one O2 molecule makes it easier for the next to bind
What effect does the binding of O2 have on the structure of the Hb subunit?
Binding of O2 pulls Fe2+ into the plane of the harm molecule ring (Proximal His is pulled in), This alters the position of Helix F which then alters the position of the sub units relative to one another rupturing salt bridges and allowing the alpha, beta pairs to slide and rotate, this changes haemoglobin from the tense state to the relaxed state and increases the affinity of other sub units for O2
What is the tense state of Hb?
More salt bridges between sub units, low affinity for O2
What is the relaxed state of Hb?
Fewer salt bridges between sub units, higher affinity for O2
What is the Bohr effect?
Lowering pH decreases the affinity of Hb for O2 (so its released more readily), Bohr shift occurs, ice. The Hb binding curve shifts to the right
Why does lowering pH cause a Bohr shift?
Lowering pH protonates Histidine residues which causes more salt bridges to be formed and stabilises Hb in the tense state (lower affinity for O2, O2 more readily released)
In terms of the Bohr shift when does decreasing pH occur in the blood?
Muscles release lactic acid when respiring anaerobically and produce large amounts of CO2 which also lowers pH when rapidly respiring - allows greater release of O2 when demand is highest
What does BPG do?
BPG is highly negatively charged and binds in a pocket in between the 4 subunits of Hb only in the tense state, so binding of BPG holds more Hb in the tense state so therefore causes a Bohr shift (Affinity for O2 reduced and O2 released more readily to the tissues)
What happens when BPG levels rise?
Release of O2 to the tissues increases
When do BPG levels rise?
BPG is found at high concentrations in all erythrocytes, Raised BPG levels in erythrocytes occur during hypoxia or poor oxygenation of peripheral tissues
What is the relationship between BPG and foetal haemoglobin?
Foetal Hb contains 2 alpha and 2 gamma subunits and binds BPG less effectively than adult Hb, therefore has a higher affinity for O2 than adult Hb and can get O2 from mothers blood
Why is the effects of pH, CO2 and BPG additive?
They interact with Hb at different sites
What are the 2 most common haemoglobinopathies?
Sickle cell anaemia and beta thalassaemia
What is sickle cell anaemia?
Mutation affecting the function of Hb synthesised. Abnormal haemoglobin, at low O2 cells become irreversibly sickle shaped and rupture more easily
What is beta thalassaemia?
Mutation affecting the amount of Hb synthesised, don’t produce sufficient amounts of Hb as cant make beta chains
What is a conservative mutation?
Conservative mutations: Result in an amino acid change. However, the properties of the amino acid remain the same
What is a non conservative mutation?
Mutation resulting in a residue change, involve the replacement of a residue with another with a very different R group
What is the significance of proline residue in a protein?
It is an imino acid and is involved in helix termination
What residue is in the invariant position F8 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Histidine, Proximal His
What residue is in the invariant position E7 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Histidine, Distal His
What residue is in the invariant position CD1 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Phenylalanine, Haem contact
What residue is in the invariant position F4 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Leucine, Haem contact
What residue is in the invariant position B6 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Glycine, B and E helices contact
What residue is in the invariant position C2 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Proline, Helix Termination
What residue is in the invariant position HC2 in haemoglobin and what is its role?
Tyrosine, H bonds between H and F helices
What are collagens?
A family of insoluble fibrous proteins with high tensile strength and are the most abundant protein in the human body, present in most organs, performs a major structural role in a wide range of tissues
What are the 3 main classes of collagens?
1) Fibril forming collagens eg. Types, 1,2,3 (chains/ropes)
2) Network forming collagens eg. Types 4 & 7 (web)
3) Fibril-associated collagens eg. Types 5,9,12
Where does the first step in collagen biosynthesis take place?
In fibroblast cells
Where the second part of collagen biosynthesis take place?
In the extracellular space
What is the simple repeated sequence that makes up much of the primary structure of collagen?
Glycine- Proline - Hydroxyproline (Hyp)
What are the 2 modified amino acids which are common in collagen?
Hyroxyproline (HyP) and Hydroxylysine (HyL)
Which enzymes synthesise the modified amino acids common in collagen and what co factor do they require?
Prolyl and Lysyl Hydroxylases, these enzymes require ascorbic acid (vit. c) as a co factor
What is the role of the 2 modified amino acids in collagen?
HyP is involved in stabilising the molecule through H bonding, HyL is involved in glycosylation (attachment sites for sugar residues) and formation of covalent cross links between collagen chains
What is the secondary structure of collagen?
Each polypeptide form a left handed helix (tighter than an alpha helix and in the opposite direction)
What is tropocollagen?
Triple helix formed from 3 collagen chains which may or may not be identical, the triple helix is a right handed twist making it very stable and Gly residues are packed in the center (small sized R group vital) and HyP and HyL residues on the outside
In collagen synthesis where does assembly of procollagen chains and assembly of triple helix take place?
In fibroblast
In collagen synthesis where does cleavage of propeptides, assembly of collagen into fibrils and formation of covalent cross links take place?
In the extracellular matrix
What are the first steps in the assembly of collagen?
Collagen chains are synthesised with additional amino acids at each end - extension peptides
Assembly begins with disulphide bond formation between C terminal extensions, facilitating triple helix assembly, triple helix (tropocollagen) is then secreted into the ECM
What are the first steps in the assembly of collagen?
Collagen chains are synthesised with additional amino acids at each end - extension peptides
Assembly begins with disulphide bond formation between C terminal extensions, facilitating triple helix assembly, triple helix (tropocollagen) is then secreted into the ECM via packaging into vesicles by the glogi apparatus
What are the second steps in assembly of collagen?
Peptidase enzymes remove extension peptides, tropocollagen spontaneously forms fibrils - stabilised by covalent cross links
How does formation of cross links between tropocollagen in collagen fibrils occur?
Lysine or Hyrdoxylysine residues can be deaminated to form allysine by lysyl oxidase, covalent bonds can then spontaneously from between allysine-allysine or allysine-lysine, these covalent bonds are important in stabilising fibril structure and giving collagen its structural strength
What is the role of collagen in bone?
Collagen fibrils provides the structure onto which calcium phosphate is deposited, staggered arrangement leaves small gaps, position of the gaps (and thus a regular arrangement of fibres) is important to get smooth and regular deposition of calcium phosphate which gives bones strength
How are collagen fibrils arranged in tendons?
Fibrils are bundled into fibres which are arranged together to form the tissue
Give 2 examples of when collagen must be broken down and re formed?
1) growth and tissue remodelling (pregnancy/after birth)
2) tissue repair (scar tissue contains lots of collagen)
What is the collective name of the enzymes that break down collagen molecules?
Collagenases (metalloproteinases requiring Zn)
Why are collagenases important in cancer?
Tumours cells produce large amounts of collagenases which are involved in tumour invasion and metastasis
What is Dupuytren’s contracture and what is used to treat it?
Disabling condition where excess collagen production affects the connective tissue of the hand, treated using collagenases