Specificity, biological

Fersht, A.R., et al. Hydrogen bonding and biological specificity analyzed by protein engineering. Nature 314 235-238, 1985. 

Biological specificity is a paramount consideration if one considers two examples, Acanthella pulcherrima [20] and Pseudaxinyssa sp. [68], That thiocyanate ion may be the precursor to marine isothiocyanates should be tested on these organisms since isothiocyantes were the primary representative of the triad. Also, should incorporation of thiocyanate ion by Phycopsis terpnis yield 81 and 82 [48], rather than the unreported corresponding isothiocyanates, the biospecificity of marine organisms will be demonstrated. 

Chronic toxicity Lack of models because of species-determined biological specificity and antigenicity Models sometimes relevant... 

Noncovalent interactions play a key role in biodisciplines. A celebrated example is the secondary structure of proteins. The 20 natural amino acids are each characterized by different structures with more or less acidic or basic, hydrophilic or hydrophobic functionalities and thus capable of different intermolecular interactions. Due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between nearby C=0 and N-H groups, protein polypeptide backbones can be twisted into a-helixes, even in the gas phase in the absence of any solvent." A protein function is determined more directly by its three-dimensional structure and dynamics than by its sequence of amino acids. Three-dimensional structures are strongly influenced by weak non-covalent interactions between side functionalities, but the central importance of these weak interactions is by no means limited to structural effects. Life relies on biological specificity, which arises from the fact that individual biomolecules communicate through non-covalent interactions." " Molecular and chiral recognition rely on... 

Before animal testing, analytical and biological assay capabilities must be developed while the NME is being scaled up to produce a sufficient quantity with acceptable purity for use in subsequent studies. Drug standards and analytical methods for evaluating the bulk NME and the final product, as well as the tentative chemical, physical, and biologic specifications, are then established. In parallel, formulation studies are initiated to produce a stable dosage form that will provide a suitable platform for delivery of the NME in a reproducible manner. 

Yamanaka, T., and Okunuki, K. (1963a). Crystalline Pseudomonas cytochrome oxidase. I. Enzymatic properties with special reference to biological specificity. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 67, 379-393. 

Table I lists isomorphous replacements for various metalloproteins. Consider zinc enzymes, most of which contain the metal ion firmly bound. The diamagnetic, colorless zinc atom contributes very little to those physical properties that can be used to study the enzymes. Thus it has become conventional to replace this metal by a different metal that has the required physical properties (see below) and as far as is possible maintains the same activity. Although this aim may be achieved to a high degree of approximation [e.g., replacement of zinc by cobalt(II)], no such replacement is ever exact. This stresses the extreme degree of biological specificity. The action of an enzyme depends precisely on the exact metal it uses, stressing again the peculiarity of biological action associated with the idiosyncratic nature of active sites. (The entatic state of the metal ion is an essential part of this peculiarity.) Despite this specificity, the replacement method has provided a wealth of information about proteins that could not have been obtained by other methods. Clearly, there will often be a compromise in the choice of replacement. Even isomorphous replacement that should retain structure will not necessarily retain activity at all. However, it has become clear that substitutions can be made for structural studies where the substituted protein is inactive (e.g., in the copper proteins and the iron-sulfur proteins). It is also possible to substitute into metal coenzymes. Many studies have been reported of the...

Review of the four lands of weak interactions that stabilize macromolecules and confer biological specificity, with clear examples. 

In the design of any type of turn mimetic systems, there are a number of concerns and criteria that need to be addressed. The interaction of the amino acid side chains with their complementary receptor groups is the critical determinant of biological specificity. A successful inducer or mimic must limit the possible conformational arrays and thereby correctly... 

The difference between the two meanings is crucial to the status of strain, induced fit, and nonproductive binding in catalysis. As we discussed in Chapter 12 and as we shall amplify below, these do not affect biological specificity, since they alter kcat and KM in a mutually compensating manner without altering kcJKM. 

Indian breast milk could be used as a sort of indicator for understanding the biological specificity in the accumulation of organochlorines in the tropical environment as well as assessing the extent of environmental... 

Forgacs, G. (1995) Biological specificity and measurable physical properties of cell surface receptors and their possible role in signal transduction through the cytoskeleton. Biochemical Cell Biology 73 317-326... 

Other solid particles (S- or Au-colloids, gelatin, targesin, etc.) have similarly been examined for their ability to transfer the 211 At isotope to tumour bearing tissues46,97,99. Application of solid carriers is, however, limited by their lack of biological specificity. Therefore radiocolloids or labelled microspheres are primarily used for local administration into the tumourous tissue itself. 

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