TASK: BIOCHEMISTRY CAT 1

REFERENCE BOOKS: PROFESSOR MUREGI NOTES

BIOCHEMESTRY OF COLLAGEN by G.N RAMACHANDRAN

REGULATION OF BACTERIA METABOLISM by TODAR, KENNETH AND MADISON

INHIBITION OF ENZYMES by KOSHLAND, DANIEL E AND FELIX HAUROWITZ

GROUP MEMBERS: CAROLYNE REGINA BCHD/2022/70121

JOSEPH NJONGE BCHD/2022/51797

Q1. four orders of protein structure

Primary structure-It is a description of all covalent bonds mainly
peptide bonds and disulfide bonds linking amino acids residues in a
polypeptide bond.
Secondary structure-results from the folding of the protein. The folding
can result in alpha helical, beta-pleated sheets. Their specific formation
is governed by the sequence of amino acids in that peptide chains and
hydrogen bonds and other weak interactions.
Tertiary structure- it is the three-dimensional functional structure of a
protein formed by folding and interactions of its secondary structures.
All the amino acids in tertiary structure are coded by a single gene.
Most proteins in the nature are stable in the tertiary structure.
Quaternary structure-This is a combination of multiple tertiary
structures joined by chemical interactions. An example is hemoglobin
protein in the red blood cell.it has a quaternary structure composed of
4 tertiary structures (polypeptide sub units) which are Alpha1, Alpha2,
Beta1 and Beta 2.
Q2. allosteric regulation of enzyme activity
It is the regulation of an enzyme by binding an effector molecule at a
non-active site of an enzyme (allosteric/regulatory site). allosteric sites
allow effectors to bind to the protein, often resulting in a
conformational change involving protein dynamics. Allosteric activators
are effectors that enhance protein activity while allosteric inhibitors are
effectors that decrease the protein activity.
Q3. Molecular basis of scurvy.
It is a disease caused by vitamin c/ ascorbic acid deficiency. Ascorbic
acid is required for hydroxylation of proline and lysine in collagen.
Collagen provides strength in connective tissues. collagen has a triple
helix constructed of the tripeptide unit Gly-X-Y (where X and are pro
or4-Hyp) , bonded by hydrogen bonds.4-hdroxyproline of proline
residues on collagen enhance the tight wrapping of hydrogen bonds in
the triple helix and fibril formation in order to provide a tensile strength
hence providing stability in its structure .The inability to hydroxylate
pro at y position when ascorbic acid is absent leads to collagen
instability and connective tissues problems like fragile blood vessels,
tooth loss ,reopening of old wounds and bone pain seen in scurvy.
Q4. Difference between the term feedback inhibition and feedback
regulation used to describe regulatory mechanism of enzyme activities.
feedback inhibition is a mechanism because the end product inhibits
the enzyme by binding with the active site of the enzyme and prevents
formation of substrate enzyme of mull step reaction while feedback
regulation is a phenomenon/regulation because the end product
inhibits the enzyme by inhibiting the production of enzyme at the gene
level.
In feedback inhibition end product binds with the active site of the
enzyme while in feed back regulation end product binds with the DNA
of the gene that encodes the enzyme and prevent the synthesis of the
enzyme.
Q5. Forensic scientist prefers DNA to RNA for their analytical work.
DNA is a huge database of information and more chemically stable and
rarely degrades while RNA is chemically unstable and degrades. RNA
has a ribose sugar which contains 2-hydoxyl group on pentose ring
which is susceptible to base catalyzed hydrolysis while DNA has
deoxyribose sugar which contains one less oxygen containing hydroxyl
group thus not susceptible to hydrolysis.
DNA is a double stranded with smaller helical groove with base pairing
between complementary strands and stacking between adjacent bases
makes it less vulnerable to chemical attack and nucleolytic degradation
molecule while RNA is a single stranded molecule with larger helical
grooves which makes it more vulnerable to chemical attack and
nucleolytic degradation.