Sept 8 Protein Structure Flashcards
what are the bonds linking amino acids together?
peptide bonds
what is the basic biological point of DNA and RNA?
to allow the synthesis of specific proteins which carry out the chemical and physical functions of cells
what is the size of the smallest proteins?
~40 amino acids in length
what is the average size of a protein?
~300-400 amino acids
what is the largest known protein and how many amino acids long?
titin, muscle protein
~30,000 amino acids
what is the primary structure of proteins?
the specific sequence of amino acids
what kinds of shapes are created?
definite 3-D structures depending on the sequence of amino acids
what determines the function of a protein?
its overall shape (specific folding pattern) and the distribution of amino acids with distinctive chemical properties throughout the overall shape
what are the two major classes of amino acid side chains?
hydrophilic
water loving
polar electronic charge distribution
interact well with water
hydrophobic
non polar charge distribution
do not interact well with water
what is the hydrophobic effect?
water molecules surrounding hydrophobic molecules dispersed in water adopt a constrained, cage like organisation, which has low entropy (stable)
what happens if hydrophobic molecules coalesce? (come together to form one mass or whole)
total number of low entropy constrained water molecules is reduced
net increase in entropy
separate hydrophobic and aqueous phases
what favours the coalescence of hydrophobic molecules?
weak non covalent van der waals intermolecular interactions
what is the secondary structure of proteins?
local folding and hydrogen bonding
(alpha helix or beta sheets)
what is the tertiary structure of proteins?
overall conformation
spatial organization of the multiple secondary structure elements
what is the quaternary structure of proteins?
multimeric structure (when multiple proteins come together)
what are supramolecular structures?
large scale assembly of proteins
what are the different functions of proteins? (8)
structure
movement
molecular transformation
signalling
transport
binding
catalysis
regulation
what dictates the protein structure and function?
the amino acid sequence (primary structure)
indirectly determined by DNA
what proportion of a polypeptide do alpha helix and beta sheets occupy? and what is the rest?
60%
the rest is made of irregular structures, coils and turns, or is disordered.
where does the bonding occur to create those structures?
peptide bond carbonyl O atoms on one amino acid and amino group hydrogens on a different amino acid residue
what is the gross structure of an alpha helix?
a straight rod