Protein Structure Prediction Essay

The sequence of amino acids in insulin was discovered by Frederick Sanger, establishing that proteins have defining amino acid sequences.

The sequence of amino acids in insulin was discovered by Frederick Sanger, establishing that proteins have defining amino acid sequences.

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Tertiary structure refers to the three-dimensional structure of monomeric and multimeric protein molecules.

The α-helixes and β-pleated-sheets are folded into a compact globular structure.

The sequence of a protein can be determined by methods such as Edman degradation or tandem mass spectrometry.

Often, however, it is read directly from the sequence of the gene using the genetic code.

The two ends of the polypeptide chain are referred to as the carboxyl terminus (C-terminus) and the amino terminus (N-terminus) based on the nature of the free group on each extremity.

Counting of residues always starts at the N-terminal end (NH-group), which is the end where the amino group is not involved in a peptide bond.Protein structures range in size from tens to several thousand amino acids.By physical size, proteins are classified as nanoparticles, between 1–100 nm.It is strictly recommended to use the words "amino acid residues" when discussing proteins because when a peptide bond is formed, a water molecule is lost, and therefore proteins are made up of amino acid residues.Post-translational modification such as phosphorylations and glycosylations are usually also considered a part of the primary structure, and cannot be read from the gene.To understand the functions of proteins at a molecular level, it is often necessary to determine their three-dimensional structure.This is the topic of the scientific field of structural biology, which employs techniques such as X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and dual polarisation interferometry to determine the structure of proteins.Secondary structure refers to highly regular local sub-structures on the actual polypeptide backbone chain.Two main types of secondary structure, the α-helix and the β-strand or β-sheets, were suggested in 1951 by Linus Pauling et al.Very large aggregates can be formed from protein subunits.For example, many thousands of actin molecules assemble into a microfilament.