A new drug is developed which selectively cleaves covalent bonds between two sulfur atoms of non-adjacent amino acids in a polypeptide chain. Which level of protein structure in affected molecules would be most directly affected by the drug?
A group of researchers isolate ‘Protein X’ from the wall of a human stomach with the intent of learning how to synthesize stomach tissue in the lab. Subsequently, they determine the exact sequence of amino acids of the protein in its unfolded state, and create a functional mRNA template to translate Protein X in vitro. They manage to translate an exact copy of the polypeptide chain in the lab, but then realize that it takes several days for the protein to fold into its final tertiary structure. In vivo, they observe that several thousand copies of Protein X are folded from polypeptide chains every minute. What is NOT a plausible explanation for this difference in folding times?
1 Crore+ students have signed up on EduRev. Have you? Download the App |
Albumin is a large protein which circulates freely in human plasma. Another type of protein, called aquaporins, act as a channel for water to enter and exit a cell, and are located within the lipid bilayer of a cell’s plasma membrane. Based on their physiological locations, how would the tertiary structure of these two proteins mostly likely compare?
What relative change in protein concentrations would most be the most direct result of a disease which halts the function of the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
The major protein component of human hair is α-keratin. Hair ‘straighteners’ are commonly used tools which use heat to iron hair into temporarily lying flat and straight. What is the best biological explanation for this phenomenon?
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a degenerative neurological disorder. Biopsy of the the brains of affected individuals reveals aggregations of a “prion protein”―a protein which is capable of folding into multiple, structurally distinct forms. In CJD, two versions of the offending protein have been identified. The normal form is predominantly composed of alpha helix, while the variant has significant beta structure. The beta structure presumably has more solvent accessible hydrophobic groups, lacking a polar outer layer. Knowing only this, how might you differentiate between the normal and variant conformations given a sample of each in the lab?
A certain genetic disorder prevents the production of signalling molecules which direct the intracellular trafficking of proteins. If the disease exclusively affects the signal which directs proteins to the proteasome, what primary effect would most likely be observed?
If the Golgi apparatus were damaged by an ingested toxin, what aspect of protein synthesis would be most affected?
Certain bacteria synthesize toxic proteins which are responsible for many of the problems they cause in humans. If you were to develop a drug designed to inhibit bacterial protein synthesis without interfering with normal human protein synthesis, what might be a logical target for the drug?
A nonsense mutation has occurred in the DNA segment which codes for “protein A”. After it has been transcribed and translated, what is the most likely product formed from this mutated region?