Polypeptide
many joined amino acids
• has direction and polarity
Amino acids joined by
Residues
amino acids in a polypeptide
Order of residues read in order…
Amino Terminal to carboxyl Terminal
Sequence
residue order of a protein
Main chain of polypeptide
Peptide bond in a peptide group has
Only proline allows
• cis conformation
(steric hiderance)
In an oxidizing environment, cysteines can pair to form
• disulphide bonds/bridges
(highly reactive SH group)
• resist breaks, return after stretch
Primary Structure of protein
the amino acid sequence (and disulphides if any)
bonds arrangement
Secondary Structure of a Protein
spatial arrangement of amino acids near to one another in the linear sequence
Hydrogen bonds
Regular repeating structures of secondary structure
* beta-pleated sheet
Alpha helix
Rotation about axis from one residue to the next
100degrees
3.6 residues per turn
5 angstrom diameter
Rise of the helix
distance along the axis from one residue to the next
1.5 angstrom
Pitch of a helix
number of residues per turn x rise
Length of 1 complete turn along the axis
Hydrogen bonding pattern in alpha helix
• carbonyl oxygen residue (i)
bonded to
• hydrogen of amide residue at (i+4)
Myoglobin’s secondary structure consists mostly of
alpha helices
Beta-pleated sheets
Antiparallel beta-pleated sheets
Parallel beta-pleated sheets
Concanavalin A’s secondary structure is mostly
beta-pleated sheets
Beta-turns
Most abundant animal protein
collagen