Knowledge Builders

what is the general structure of protein

by Dr. Candice Morar Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

The overall structure of the protein includes both alpha helices (green) and beta sheets (red). The primary structure of a protein — its amino acid sequence — drives the folding and intramolecular bonding of the linear amino acid chain, which ultimately determines the protein's unique three-dimensional shape.

Full Answer

What are the four structure of protein?

What are the four levels of protein structure quizlet?

  • primary structure. linear aequence of amino acids.
  • secondary structure. alpha helix and beta pleated sheet formed by hudrogen bonds between atoms of the polypeptide backbone.
  • tertiary structure. 3d shape formed by interactions between r groups.
  • quaternary structure. association of multiple polypeptides.

What are the different levels of protein structure?

Protein Structure

  1. Primary Structure of Protein. The Primary structure of proteins is the exact ordering of amino acids forming their chains. ...
  2. Secondary Structure of Protein. The proteins do not exist in just simple chains of polypeptides. ...
  3. Tertiary Structure of Protein. ...
  4. Quaternary Structure of Protein. ...

What are the general functions of proteins?

Key Points

  • Proteins are essential for the main physiological processes of life and perform functions in every system of the human body.
  • A protein’s shape determines its function.
  • Proteins are composed of amino acid subunits that form polypeptide chains.

More items...

What are the four levels of protein organization?

  • The four levels of protein organization are: Primary structure, secondary
  • Primary structure: The primary structure of proteins refers to the
  • sequence of amino acids present in the polypeptide chain. Amino acids
  • component amino acid in a polypeptide is called a residue or moiety. ...

image

What is the structure of proteins?

The structure of proteins is directly related to their function and may be primary, secondary, tertiary, or quaternary.

What Are Proteins Made Of?

Proteins are polymers, meaning they are large molecules made up of many smaller molecules. The small molecules that make up proteins are called amino acids.

What are the bonds formed between amino acids?

These include hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and disulfide bonds.

What determines the final 3D structure of a protein?

The amino acid sequence of a polypeptide chain determines the final 3D structure of the protein. There are four levels of protein structure; the primary structure, the secondary structure, the tertiary structure, and the quaternary structure. Furthermore, there are two main classes of 3D protein structures; these are globular and fibrous proteins.

How are amino acids determined in a polypeptide chain?

The order of amino acids in the polypeptide chain is determined by the order of nucleotides (the DNA sequence) of the gene that encodes it. Even a tiny change in the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide chain can alter the overall structure and function of the protein.

What is a quaternary protein?

When several polypeptide chains (AKA subunits) come together, they can form a structure known as a quaternary protein. One example of a quaternary protein structure is hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is made up of four polypeptide chains, and is specially adapted to bind oxygen in the blood. Haemoglobin is a quaternary protein.

What is the function of a protein?

The function of a protein depends heavily on its final structure. Tertiary and quaternary proteins are both functional proteins with a 3D structure. However, the type of structure can vary significantly between different proteins. There are two main classes of 3D protein structure: globular proteins and fibrous proteins.

Why is the chapter titled "Protein Structure and Function"?

This chapter is titled “protein structure and function” because protein structure heavily influences its function. The structure of a protein is caused by the chemical properties of its amino acids.

How many proteins are in a cell?

Each cell in a living system may contain thousands of proteins, each with a unique function. Their structures, like their functions, vary greatly. They are all, however, amino acid polymers arranged in a linear sequence (also referred to as a “peptide”). Protein types and functions:

What is the name of the monomer that contains both amino acids and carboxyl acids?

A polypeptide folds into a 3D structure called a protein. Scientists use the name “amino acid” because these acids contain both amino group and carboxyl-acid-group in their basic structure.

How many amino acids are in a polypeptide chain?

A polypeptide chain is chain composed of amino acids. There are 20 amino acids commonly found in organisms.

Why are amino acids essential?

Nine of these are essential amino acids in humans because the human body cannot produce them and we obtain them from our diet. Below are two illustrations depicting the relationship between amino acids and polypeptides. A protein is composed of polypeptide chain (s) and a polypeptide chain is made of amino acids.

Which amino acid binds with other amino acids?

Negatively charged amino acids bind with positively charged amino acids (neutrally charged amino acids are not affected). Also, the amino acid called cysteine contains sulfur and sulfurs easily bind with each other, creating a “disulfide bond.”. Because of this, cysteines bind with other cysteines.

Why is the shape of a protein important?

As mentioned above, a protein’s shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can bind to a specific substrate at an active site. If this active site is altered because of local changes or changes in overall protein structure, the enzyme may be unable to bind to the substrate.

What are the structural components of a protein?

The structural components of a protein. A protein consists of a polypeptide backbone with attached side chains. Each type of protein differs in its sequence and number of amino acids; therefore, it is the sequence of the chemically different side chains (more...)

What is a protein made of?

A protein molecule is made from a long chain of these amino acids, each linked to its neighbor through a covalent peptide bond ( Figure 3-1 ). Proteins are therefore also known as polypeptides. Each type of protein has a unique sequence of amino acids, exactly the same from one molecule to the next.

What is the refolding of a denatured protein?

The refolding of a denatured protein. (A) This experiment demonstrates that the conformation of a protein is determined solely by its amino acid sequence. (B) The structure of urea. Urea is very soluble in water and unfolds proteins at high concentrations, (more...)

How do amino acids fold into compact conformations?

The polar amino acid side chains tend to gather on the outside of the protein, where they can interact with water; the nonpolar amino acid side chains are buried on the inside to form a tightly packed hydrophobic (more...)

What type of bonds help proteins fold?

Three types of noncovalent bonds that help proteins fold. Although a single one of these bonds is quite weak, many of them often form together to create a strong bonding arrangement, as in the example shown. As in the previous figure, R is used as a general (more...)

What are the two fold patterns of proteins?

Both patterns were discovered about 50 years ago from studies of hair and silk. The first folding pattern to be discovered, called the α helix, was found in the protein α- keratin, which is abundant in skin and its derivatives—such as hair, nails, and horns. Within a year of the discovery of the α helix, a second folded structure, called a β sheet, was found in the protein fibroin, the major constituent of silk. These two patterns are particularly common because they result from hydrogen-bonding between the N–H and C=O groups in the polypeptide backbone, without involving the side chains of the amino acids. Thus, they can be formed by many different amino acid sequences. In each case, the protein chain adopts a regular, repeating conformation. These two conformations, as well as the abbreviations that are used to denote them in ribbon models of proteins, are shown in Figure 3-9 .

How many entries are there in the protein database?

The present database of known protein sequences contains more than 500,000 entries, and it is growing very rapidly as more and more genomes are sequenced—revealing huge numbers of new genes that encode proteins. Powerful computer search programs are available that allow one to compare each newly discovered protein with this entire database, looking for possible relatives. Homologous proteins are defined as those whose genes have evolved from a common ancestral gene, and these are identified by the discovery of statistically significant similarities in amino acid sequences.

image

Overview

Image
This chapter is titled “protein structure and function” because protein structure heavily influences its function. The structure of a protein is caused by the chemical properties of its amino acids, which is coded by a DNA sequence (a gene). This figure illustrates the insulin protein: part of its DNA sequence, part of its amino ac…
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Traits

  • A trait is a specific characteristic of an organism, such as eye color or blood type. Traits can be determined by genes or the environment, or more commonly by interactions between them. The genetic contribution (i.e., the DNA) to a trait is called the genotype. The outward expression of the genotype, including visible and physiological traits, is called the phenotype.
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Proteins

  • Proteins are coded and regulated by genes. These proteins, along with the environment, cause an organism’s traits. Proteinsare one of the most abundant organic molecules in living systems and have the most diverse range of functions of all macromolecules. Proteins may be structural, regulatory, contractile, or protective. They may serve in transport, storage, or membranes; or the…
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Monomers and Polymers

  • Monomers are molecules that can bind into long chains—these long chains are called “polymers.” In other words, a polymer (“poly” = many) are made of monomers (“mono” meaning “one”). Amino acidsare the monomers that comprise polypeptides (polypeptides being the polymers). A polypeptide folds into a 3D structure called a protein. Scientists use the n...
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Protein Structure

  • As mentioned above, a protein’s shape is critical to its function. For example, an enzyme can bind to a specific substrate at an active site. If this active site is altered because of local changes or changes in overall protein structure, the enzyme may be unable to bind to the substrate. To understand how the protein gets its final shape or conformation, we need to understand the fou…
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Mutations

  • Mutations can impact protein synthesis and amino acid sequence. If these mutations are heritable, then they may influence the evolution of a species. Therefore, this chapter includes information on mutations and evolution.
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

Attributions

  • This chapter is a modified derivative of the following articles: “Biological Molecules” by OpenStax College, Biology, CC BY 4.0. Download the original article for free at https://openstax.org/books/biology-2e/pages/3-4-proteins “Trait” by National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms. Understandi…
See more on openbooks.lib.msu.edu

1.protein - General structure and properties of proteins

Url:https://www.britannica.com/science/protein/General-structure-and-properties-of-proteins

17 hours ago  · All proteins are made up of amino acids. Think of amino acids as train cars that make up an entire train called a protein. Proteins are formed by amino acids, which are produced based on the genetic information in a cell. Then, the amino acids that are created in the cell are linked together in a certain order.

2.16 Protein Structure and Function - Michigan State …

Url:https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/isb202/chapter/protein-structure-and-function/

29 hours ago A protein molecule is made from a long chain of these amino acids, each linked to its neighbor through a covalent peptide bond ( Figure 3-1 ). Proteins are therefore also known as polypeptides. Each type of protein has a unique sequence of amino acids, …

3.The Basic Structure of Proteins - dummies

Url:https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/science/biology/the-basic-structure-of-proteins-194613/

6 hours ago

4.The Shape and Structure of Proteins - Molecular Biology …

Url:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26830/

24 hours ago

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9