Biochemistry

Assignment 3

Solve the following problems clearly and systematically. Work as a group. Please submit your
answers and solutions in the form of a PDF document.

1. Plants can synthesize trienoic acids (fatty acids with three double bonds) by introducing
another double bond into a dienoic acid. Would you expect plants growing at higher
temperatures to convert more of their dienoic acids into trienoic acids? Explain.

2. In a famous experiment, Michael Edidin labelled the proteins on the surface of mouse
and human cells with green and red fluorescent markers, respectively. The two types of
cells were induced to fuse, forming hybrid cells. Immediately after fusion, green
markers could be seen on the surface of one half of a hybrid cell and red markers on the
other half. After a 40-minute incubation at 37°C, the green and red markers became
intermingled over the entire surface of the hybrid cell. If the hybrid cells were instead
incubated at 15°C, this mixing did not occur. Explain these observations and why they
supported the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure.

3. An unknown disaccharide is subjected to methylation with CH3I followed by acid

hydrolysis. The reaction yields 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-methyl-D-glucose and 2,3,4-tri-O-
methyl-D-glucose. Draw the structure of the unknown disaccharide. (Challenge
Poblem! Use your knowledge of organic chemistry to answer this question.)

4. The presence of the oligosaccharide raffinose (below) in beans is blamed for causing
flatulence when beans are consumed. Undigested raffinose is acted upon by bacteria in
the large intestine, which produce gas as a metabolic by-product. Why are humans
unable to digest raffinose?

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