1. Metals are critical for cell survival. They can act as cofactors in enzymes.
ID: 272419 • Letter: 1
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1. Metals are critical for cell survival. They can act as cofactors in enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions, and cofactors are molecules (or ions) that are required for the enzymes to function. For example, superoxide dismutase is an enzyme that uses the transition metal manganese to protect cells from oxidative stress. 1. During this process, the manganese alternates between +2 and +3 oxidation states. What is special about manganese that allows it to accomplish this chemistry? 2. Explain what you think would happen if you replaced the manganese in superoxide dismutase with another metal like calcium or aluminum. Justify your response. 2. Glycine (C2H5NO2) and alanine (C3H7NO2) are two amino acids. 1. Draw their Lewis dot structures 2. Glycine and alanine can join together to form a dipeptide. Draw the Lewis dot structure for the gly-ala peptide. For some background information, here is a link to a Khan Academy video that describes how peptide bonds are formed. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/macromolecules/proteins-and-amino-acids/v/peptide-bond-formation 1. Based on your answer to b), why is peptide synthesis also referred to as a dehydration reaction? 1. The peptide bond C (from the carboxylate of glycine) to N (of alanine), is restricted in its range of motion. Explain this observation and justify your response with a Lewis dot structure.Explanation / Answer
1) manganese helps in O(2)(-) to changes its states from oxidation to reduction. Superoxide dismutase catalyses the dismutation of the Superoxide radical in either molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide. Superoxide is a by product which if no regulated properly can cause cell damage. So manganese helps quickly in this process. Manganese has high afinity towards oxygen so it makes this process quick.
Manganese ion cycles between MN 2 +and MN 3+ oxidation and accomplishes it's enzymatic action.
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