Puzzle 2-2: The amino acids that make up proteins can be hydrophilic or hydropho

Question

Puzzle 2-2: The amino acids that make up proteins can be hydrophilic or hydrophobic meaning they love or hate being exposed to water, respectively. As a result, hydrophobic residues are often buried in the interior of the protein. In this puzzle you are given two long alpha helices, and the goal is to bring them together to prevent there from being a void between them. Why would a void in the interior be unlikely in the correctly folded version of the protein? Hint: look at the location of the hydrophilic (blue) and hydrophobic (orange) residues, and remember that proteins reside in aqueous environments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVJoyRfPbic

Explanation / Answer

Among other things voids allow for water to enter into the protein. Since the interior of the protein is normally populated with hydrophobic residues having voids would allow for energetically unfavorable water-hydrophobic residue interactions.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse P
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.