Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biochemistry4h 34m
2. Water3h 23m
3. Amino Acids8h 10m
4. Protein Structure10h 4m
5. Protein Techniques14h 5m
6. Enzymes and Enzyme Kinetics13h 38m
7. Enzyme Inhibition and Regulation 8h 42m
8. Protein Function 9h 41m
9. Carbohydrates7h 49m
10. Lipids5h 49m
11. Biological Membranes and Transport 6h 37m
12. Biosignaling9h 45m
Review 1: Nucleic Acids, Lipids, & Membranes2h 47m
Review 2: Biosignaling, Glycolysis, Gluconeogenesis, & PP-Pathway3h 12m
Review 3: Pyruvate & Fatty Acid Oxidation, Citric Acid Cycle, & Glycogen Metabolism2h 26m
Review 4: Amino Acid Oxidation, Oxidative Phosphorylation, & Photophosphorylation1h 48m

4. Protein Structure

Anfinsen Experiment

Biochemistry

4. Protein Structure

Anfinsen Experiment

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following conclusions could Anfinsen draw from his RNase A experiment?

Disulfide bridges are unnecessary for the function of RNase A.

Kinetics is the main barrier to a protein adopting its native fold.

Proteins spontaneously adopt their native fold, which specifies location of disulfide bridges.

RNase activity cannot be destroyed by urea alone at any concentration.

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Verified step by step guidance

Begin by understanding the context of Anfinsen's experiment with RNase A, which was pivotal in demonstrating the principles of protein folding.

Recognize that Anfinsen's experiment involved denaturing RNase A using urea and β-mercaptoethanol to break disulfide bonds, and then removing these agents to allow the protein to refold.

Consider the implications of the experiment: Anfinsen showed that RNase A could regain its enzymatic activity after refolding, indicating that the primary sequence of amino acids contains all the information necessary for the protein to fold into its native structure.

Understand that the conclusion drawn from this experiment is that proteins can spontaneously adopt their native fold, which inherently specifies the location of disulfide bridges, as the correct folding leads to the formation of these bonds.

Reflect on the significance of this conclusion: It suggests that the native conformation of a protein is thermodynamically favored and that the sequence of amino acids dictates the final structure, including the formation of disulfide bridges.