Proteins and Enzymes Flashcards
What is a protein?
Linear covalent polymers of amino acids which have a specific 3D structure
What is a fibrous protein?
Elongated in 1 direction
What are the roles of fibrous proteins?
Specialised for mechanical strength and support
What are globular proteins?
Compact proteins which are often water soluble
What are the roles of globular proteins?
Dynamic proteins such as enzymes or receptors.
What is an example of a part globular, part structural protein?
Myosin
What percentage of dry cell weight do proteins represent?
50%
What is the role of proteins?
to perform the functions essential for life
What is the structure of an amino acid?
Carboxyl group
Amino group
R group
H atom
What causes the folding of proteins?
The hydrophobic effect (driven by the need of internalise hydrophobic polypeptide chains) (polar chains on outside, non-polar on inside)
What is the hydrophobic effect?
globular proteins internalise the non polar hydrophobic side chains of amino acids and externalise the polar amino acids which can form hydrogen bonds with the external environment.
What is pKA?
PH value at which a weakly ionising group is 50% associated
What is the role of di-sulfide bridges?
Hold polypeptide chains in shape
What is the most hydrophobic amino acid?
Phenylalanine
What are the aromatic amino acids?
Tryptophan, Tyrosin and Phenylalanine
In what form do amino acids exist as?
Zwitter ions
What are required to form polypeptides with other amino acids?
Charged interactions between amino acids
What is the simplest amino acid?
Glycine
What are the main hydrophobic amino acids?
Valine, Leucine and Isoleucine
What is special about the cystine amino acid?
Contains a very reactive sulphydral group which can form di-sulphide bonds with other cystine residues in a spontaneous oxidation reaction
what is special about Tyrosine?
It is an aromatic amino acid which is polar due to its reactive OH group.
What is the primary structure?
linear sequence of amino acids
What is the secondary structure?
regions of regularly repeating conformations of the peptide stabilised by hydrogen bonding between the peptide groups e.g alpha helices and beta sheets
What is tertiary structure?
the 3D shape of the folded chain. Arrangement of all amino acids including R groups and any prosthetic groups (in a single polypeptide chain)