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Multiple Choice
What is likely to happen to Ribonuclease A if it is treated with both urea & β-mercaptoethanol?
A
RNase A will denature and oxidize its disulfides to generate sulfhydryl groups.
B
RNase A renatures but disulfide bonds are formed randomly between Cys residues.
C
RNase A will denature and reduce its disulfides to generate sulfhydryl groups.
D
RNase A will denature and oxidize its sulfhydryl groups to generate disulfides.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the role of Ribonuclease A (RNase A): It is an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of RNA into smaller components. It has a specific three-dimensional structure stabilized by disulfide bonds.
Identify the effects of urea: Urea is a chaotropic agent that disrupts hydrogen bonds and non-covalent interactions, leading to the denaturation of proteins by unfolding their secondary and tertiary structures.
Identify the effects of β-mercaptoethanol: This is a reducing agent that specifically targets disulfide bonds, breaking them into free sulfhydryl (thiol) groups, which are the reduced form of cysteine residues.
Combine the effects of both agents: When RNase A is treated with both urea and β-mercaptoethanol, the urea will denature the protein by disrupting its non-covalent interactions, while β-mercaptoethanol will reduce the disulfide bonds, converting them into sulfhydryl groups.
Conclude the outcome: The combined treatment results in the denaturation of RNase A and the reduction of its disulfide bonds, generating free sulfhydryl groups, which is consistent with the correct answer provided.