PROTEINS: Structure & Function

COLLAGEN

Most abundant protein in animals

Water-insoluble fibers

Has great tensile strength

Major role: stress-bearing component of connective tissues

Primary Structure
-(-XYG-)- XPro/Hyp; Yany aa
- each chain is about 800 aa residues long
Secondary Structure
- Left-handed -helix
- 3.3 aa/turn
- Pitch: 10
Tertiary Structure
- 3 chains are parallel & wind each other in a right-handed manner to form a
triple-helical structure
- H-bond involving Hyp and Hyl residues
- intramolecular and intermolecular aldol covalent crosslinks
Quaternary Structure
Procollagen Tropocollagen Collagen Fibrils
Diseases due to Collagen Defects
1. Scurvy deficiency in ascorbic acid (requirement for the activity of prolyl
hydroxylase)
2. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome India-rubberman
ELASTIN

Connective tissue protein; has elastic properties

Consists predominantly of nonpolar aa residues, 1/3 G, 1/3 V + A, rich in P

Random coil conformation

Intramolecular and intermolecular desmosine crosslinks

HEMOGLOBIN & MYOGLOBIN (Transport Proteins)

Hemeproteins

Major role:

Hemoglobin: O2 transport

Myoglobin: O2 storage

Heme

Responsible to the red color of the blood

Prosthetic group

Porphyrin ring
Centrally bound Fe+2

MYOGLOBIN

Monomer

Contains a heme

10 Structure: 153 aa

20 Structure: Helical

30 Structure: Globular

HEMOGLOBIN

Tetramer: 22

Each subunit contains one heme

10 structure

= 141 aa

= 146 aa

20 structure: helical

30 structure: globular

40 structure: 4 folded chain in tetrahedral arrangement

Oxygen Transport by Hemoglobin

O2 and CO2 have different binding sites

Oxyhemoglobin

Carbaminohemoglobin

Carboxyhemoglobin

Methemoglobin

Affinity of Oxygen to Hemoglobin & Myoglobin

Hemoglobin: sigmoidal curve

Myoglobin: hyperbolic curve

Hemoglobin exhibits positive cooperative binding of O2

Sickle-Cell Anemia

Genetically altered hemoglobin

6th aa of subunit: Glu Val

INSULIN & GLUCAGON

Regulatory proteins

Endocrine hormones

Insulin: B cells
Glucagon: A cells

Carbohydrate homeostasis

Insulin

Produced from -cells of Islets of Langerhans

2 polypeptide chain (51 aa residues)

Intermolecular and intramolecular disulfide linkage

Hypoglycemic hormone

Glucagon

Produced from -cells of Islets of Langerhans

Single polypeptide chain (29 aa residues)

Involved in increasing the blood levels of glucose

Diseases related to Insulin

Hypoglycemia

Hyperglycemia

Diabetes mellitus

IMMUNOGLOBULIN

Defense proteins

Also known as antibodies

B lymphocyte: secrete antibodies

Structure

Y-shaped molecule

Tetramer

Interchain disdulfide linkages

Light Chain
Heavy Chain

Constant Region
Variable Region

Five Classes of Immunoglobulins

1. IgA
2. IgG
3. IgM
4. IgE
5. IgD
Diseases

Autoimmune Diseases

Inherited Immunodeficiency

HIV