Biological functional properties examples

The non-covalently attached proteins are not vital for PHA granule formation, however, they serve various biological functions, for example, PHA granule structure, PHA biosynthesis gene regulation, and PHA mobilization. Yet, only the covalently attached polyester synthases possess all the inherent properties needed for PHA granule formation. 

The side chains of the 20 different amino acids listed in Panel 1.1 (pp. 6-7) have very different chemical properties and are utilized for a wide variety of biological functions. However, their chemical versatility is not unlimited, and for some functions metal atoms are more suitable and more efficient. Electron-transfer reactions are an important example. Fortunately the side chains of histidine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid are excellent metal ligands, and a fairly large number of proteins have recruited metal atoms as intrinsic parts of their structures among the frequently used metals are iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Several metallo proteins are discussed in detail in later chapters and it suffices here to mention briefly a few examples of iron and zinc proteins. 

A close relationship exists between physicochemical properties of pigment molecules and their ability to be absorbed and thus to exhibit biological functions. Carotenoids are hydrophobic molecules that require a lipophilic environment. In vivo, they are found in precise locations and orientations within biological membranes. For example, the dihydroxycarotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin orient themselves perpendicularly to the membrane surface as molecular rivets in order to expose their hydroxyl groups to a more polar environment. 

The synthesis of benzo[Z>]furan derivatives has become a very active field because these molecules have been recently identified as having a variety of biological activities. For example, they can function as inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase IB with antihyperglycemic properties <00JMC1293>, as well as potent and short-acting p-blockers in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases . An inexpensive, reusable clay has been utilized to catalyze a facile cyclodehydration under microwave without solvent to form 3-substituted benzo[2>]furans from substituted a-phenoxy acetophenones 104. One of the important features of this procedure is that all the selected cyclodehydration reactions are complete in less than 10 minutes <00SL1273>. 

In contrast, we also know of a great many cases in which a very small change in primary structure has major implications for biological function sickle cell anemia is a prominent example to which I return shortly. So we have a question. How are we to know when a change in primary structure is likely to alter the three-dimensional structure and biological properties of a protein To get at that question, we need to understand more about why a protein folds up in the way that it does. 

Primary cultures developed from pig and cow tissue are the best studied [29-32]. These models closely resemble the BBB, exhibiting many of the key biological properties. However isolation of blood-brain endothelial cells requires relatively complex cell isolation procedures which are labor-intensive and not ideal for screening purposes. Other cell types have been shown or proposed to induce barrier function, for example, astrocytes/pericytes. Significant improvements in barrier function was achieved in these primary culture models by including astrocyte conditioned media or co-culturing with astrocytes [33]. The complexity of primary cultures led to the use of epithelial cell lines not derived from the BBB (e.g., MDCK, MDCK-MDRl or LLC-PKl) [33]. 

The isolation and cleanup of biological macromolecules by means of affinity chromatography form another typical example of specific application of sample treatment. Affinity chromatography exploits specific functional properties of molecules as retardation of specific groups of solutes in the adsorption step takes place. Later on, adsorbed... 

Structural elucidation of natural macromolecules is an important step in understanding the relationships between the chemical properties of a biomolecule and its biological function. The techniques used in organic structure determination (NMR, IR, UV, and MS) are quite useful when applied to biomolecules, but the unique nature of natural molecules also requires the application of specialized chemical techniques. Proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids are polymeric materials, each composed of hundreds or sometimes thousands of monomeric units (amino acids, monosaccharides, and nucleotides, respectively). But there is only a limited number of these types of units from which the biomolecules are synthesized. For example, only 20 different amino acids are found in proteins but these different amino acids may appear several times in the same protein molecule. Therefore, the structure of... 

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