BIOCHEM PROTEINS ASSIGNMENT

1. Which of the following statement is TRUE?

a. At pI, amino acids have an overall
negative charge
b. At pI, amino acids have an overall
positive charge
c. At pI, amino acids are protonated so they
have zero charge
d. At pI, amino acids have equal amounts of
positive and negative charges so they have a net
zero charge
Answer:

- (C) The isoelectric point (pI) is the point at which the net charge on a molecule is zero. pI is most
commonly examined for proteins. Each of the amino acids in a protein carries a distinct charge,
and the overall charge of a protein is the summation of the individual charges on each amino acid.
This charge is also dependent on the pH of the surrounding solution.

2. Identify the amino acids that comprise this peptide.

- Ala-val-cys

3. Draw the peptide ala-gly-val-ser