Reversible Binding of Phosphate and The Control of Conformation

Question 1

The addition or removal of phosphate can cause reversible conformational change inproteins

Answer 1

This is a common form of post-translational modification

Question 2

Protein kinases

Answer 2

Protein kinases catalyse phosphorylation, the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to other proteins

Question 3

Protein phosphatases

Answer 3

Protein phosphatases catalyses dephosphorylation, the reverse reaction, which is the removal of a phosphate from a molecule

Question 4

Phosphorylation

Answer 4

Phosphorylation brings about conformational changes, which can affect a protein’s activity

The activity of many cellular proteins, such as enzymes and receptors, is regulated in this way.

Some proteins are activated by phosphorylation while others are inhibited

Adding a phosphate group adds negative charges. Ionic interactions in the unphosphorylated protein can be disrupted and new ones created.