Kaplan Biochemistry Unknown Concepts Flashcards
What is the stereochemistry of all chiral amino acids?
eukaryotes: alpha carbon is only L, all are S configuration exception cysteine (R)
D amino acids can exist in prokaryotes
What is an alpha amino acid?
amino group and carboxyl group are bonded to the same carbon (alpha carbon of CA)
- average molar mass = 100 daltons (g/mol)
Nonpolar, nonaromatic AA.
glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, proline
Aromatic AA
tryptophan (W), phenylalanine (F), tyrosine (Y)
Polar AA
serine, threonine, asparagine (Asn, N), glutamine (Gln, Q), cysteine
Negatively charged (acidic AA)
aspartate (D), glutamate (E)
Positively charged (basic AA)
lysine (K), arginine (R), histidine
What is pKa?
the pH at which half of the species are deprotonated
[HA] = [A-]
carboxyl group of AA: 2
amino group of AA: 10
What do titration curves of amino acids look like?
flat in areas of pKa (2, 9-10): buffering
vertical at pI: electrically neutral
What are the different forms amino acids exist in depending on pH?
pKa > pH, fully protonated
pKa = pH = pI, neutral Zwitterion
pKa < pH, fully deprotonated
How do you calculate the pI of a neutral amino acid? acidic amino acid? basic amino acid?
neutral: pKa(amino) + pKa(carboxyl) / 2
acidic: pKa(R group) + pKa(carboxyl) / 2
basic: pKa(R group) + pKa(amino) / 2
Describe peptide bond formation.
amino group attacks carbonyl carbon in a condensation reaction (acyl substitution)
- synthesized N to C terminus
- amide group had delocalizable pi electrons which gives the NC partial double bond character
Describe the bonds that hold secondary, tertiary, and quaternary protein structures together.
secondary: H-bonding between amino groups and non-adjacent carboxyl groups
- only step without covalent bonding
tertiary: hydrophobic interactions (nonpolar R groups to the interior for positive entropy), acid-base interactions (salt bridges), hydrogen bonding between R groups, and disulfide bonds (two cysteine residues are oxidized + covalent bond)
quaternary: interaction between peptides in proteins with multiple subunits
What are the types of enzymes you have to know? What are the shared general characteristics of enzymes?
1) oxidoreductase: redox reactions
2) transferase: move functional group from one molecule to another
3) hydrolases: catalyze cleavage with water
4) lyases: catalyze cleavage without water and without transfer of electrons
5) isomerases: catalyze interconversion of isomers including constitutional and stereoisomers
6) ligases: joining to larger biomolecules
LIL HOT
unchanged by reactions and reusable
do not alter free energy (delta G) or enthalpy (delta H), they change RATE
What is an exergonic reaction?
release energy, delta G is negative
What is the difference between cofactors and coenzymes?
cofactors: inorganic molecules or metal ions
coenzymes: small organic compounds like vitamins, or derivatives of vitamins like NAD+, FAD, and CoA
What does Km represent?
substrate concentration at which half of the enzyme’s active sites are full
- when comparing enzymes, the one with the higher Km has lower affinity for its substrate bc it require higher [S] to reach half saturation
What is vmax?
enzyme maximum velocity; only increase by adding more E
vmax = [E]kcat
where kcat = turnover rate
What is catalytic efficiency?
kcat/Km
- large kcat or small Km means high turnover with high affinity, more efficiency
What is cooperative binding? What is Hill’s coefficient?
change in affinity for substrate based on binding
Hill’s coefficient
> 1: positive cooperative binding
- Hb, sigmoidal shape
= 1: NOT cooperative binding
< 1: negative cooperative binding
What are the different types of reversible inhibition?
1) competitive: inhibitor similar to substrate binds to active site
- vmax is unchanged
- Km increases
2) noncompetitive: inhibitor binds with equal affinity to the enzyme and the enzyme-substrate complex; bind at allosteric site
- vmax is decreased
-Km unchanged
3) mixed inhibition: inhibitor binds with unequal affinity for enzyme and the enzyme-substrate complex; bind at allosteric site
- vmax decreased
- Km increased (enzyme) or decreased (ES) depending on affinity for enzyme vs. ES complex
4) uncompetitive inhibitor: inhibitor binds only with ES complex; bind at allosteric site
- vmax decreased
- Km decrease
What are other ways enzymes activity is monitored?
allosteric sites occupied by activators, phosphorylation or glycosylation, zymogens (inactive form until cleaved)
What do structural proteins do? What are the common ones?
compose the cytoskeleton, anchoring proteins, and the extracellular matrix
- collagen (connective tissue), elastin (connective tissue), keratin (epithelial cells), actin (+/- side), and tubulin (intracellular transport)
What are motor proteins?
one or more heads capable of force generation through conformational change
- ATPase
functions: muscle contraction, vesicle movement within cells, and cell motility
- myosin, kinesin, dynein