Structural protein

The structural proteins give extracellular structures mechanical stability, and are involved in the structure of the cytoskeleton (see p. 204). Most of these proteins contain a high percentage of specific secondary structures (see p. 68). For this reason, the amino acid composition of many structural proteins is also characteristic (see below). 

In the keratins, large parts of the peptide chain show right-handed a-helical coiling. Two chains each form a left-handed superhelix, as is also seen in myosin (see p. 65). The superhelical keratin dimers join to form tetramers, and these aggregate further to form protofilaments, with a diameter of 3 nm. Finally, eight protofilaments then form an intermediate filament, with a diameter of 10 nm (see p.204). 

Similar keratin filaments are found in hair. In a single wool fiber with a diameter of about 20 pm, millions of filaments are bundled together within dead cells. The individual keratin helices are cross-linked and stabilized by numerous disulfide bonds (see p. 72). This fact is exploited in the perming of hair. Initially, the disulfide bonds of hair keratin are disrupted by reduction with thiol compounds (see p. 8). The hair is then styled in the desired shape and heat-dried. In the process, new disulfide bonds are formed by oxidation, which maintain the hairstyle for some time. 

Silk is produced from the spun threads from silkworms (the larvae of the moth Bombyx mori and related species). The main protein in silk, fibroin, consists of antiparallel pleated sheet structures arranged one on top of the other in numerous layers (1). Since the amino acid side chains in pleated sheets point either straight up or straight down (see p. 68), only compact side chains fit between the layers. In fact, more than 80% of fibroin consists of glycine, alanine, and serine, the three amino acids with the shortest side chains. A typical repetitive amino acid sequence is (Gly-Ala-Gly-Ala-Gly-Ser). The individual pleated sheet layers in fibroin are found to lie alternately 0.35 nm and 0.57 nm apart. In the first case, only glycine residues (R = H) are opposed to one another. The slightly greater distance of 0.57 nm results from repulsion forces between the side chains of alanine and serine residues (2). 

Collagen is the quantitatively most important protein in mammals, making up about 25% of the total protein. There are many different types of collagen, particularly in connective tissue. Collagen has an unusual amino acid composition. Approximately one-third of the amino acids are glycine (Gly), about 10% proline (Pro), and 10% hydroxyproline (Hyp). The 

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There are four different structural proteins in picomaviruses... 

Rost, B., Sander, C. Combining evolutionary information and neural networks to predict secondary structure. Proteins 19 55-72, 1994. 

Collagen Collagen is an extracellular structural protein 1052 amino acid residues. Collagen has an minsnal amino acid composidon it is about one-third glycine and is rich in proline. Note diat it also lacks Cys and Trp and is deficient in aromadc amino acid residues in general. 

Structural proteins u-Keratin Collagen Elastin Eibroin Proteoglycans... 

In addition to classification based on layer structure, proteins can be grouped according to the type and arrangement of secondary structure. There are four such broad groups antiparallel a-helix, parallel or mixed /3-sheet, antiparallel /3-sheet, and the small metal- and disulfide-rich proteins. 

Many proteins found in nature are glycoproteins because they contain covalently linked oligo- and polysaccharide groups. The list of known glycoproteins includes structural proteins, enzymes, membrane receptors, transport proteins, and immunoglobulins, among others. In most cases, the precise function of the bound carbohydrate moiety is not understood. 

In addition to the major proteins of striated muscle (myosin, actin, tropomyosin, and the troponins), numerous other proteins play important roles in the maintenance of muscle structure and the regulation of muscle contraction. Myosin and actin together account for 65% of the total muscle protein, and tropomyosin and the troponins each contribute an additional 5% (Table 17.1). The other regulatory and structural proteins thus comprise approximately 25% of the myofibrillar protein. The regulatory proteins can be classified as either myosin-associated proteins or actin-associated proteins. 

Myofibrillar Structural Proteins of Rabbit Skeletal Muscle ... 

Preeclampsia, Viagra and, 164 Prelog, Vladimir, 181 Prepolymer, epoxy resins and, 673 Priestley, Joseph, 245 Primary alcohol, 600 Primary amine, 916 Primary carbon. 84 Primary hydrogen, 85 Primary structure (protein), 1038 Primer strand (DNA), 1108 pro-R prochiralitv center, 316 pro-S prochirality center, 316 Problems, how to work, 27 Procaine, structure of, 32 Prochirality, 315-317 assignment of, 315-316 naturally occurring molecules and, 316-317... 

Quaternary carbon. 84 Quaternary structure (protein). 1038 Quinine, structure of, 533, 950 Quinoline, aromaticity of, 533... 

Schiffbase, 1147 Scurvy vitamin C and, 772 sec-Butyl group, 84 Second-order reaction, 363 Secondary alcohol, 600 Secondary amine, 917 Secondary carbon, 84 Secondary hydrogen. 85 Secondary structure (protein), 1038-1039... 

While some biological targets such as DNA are not protein in nature, most receptors are. It is useful to consider the properties of receptor proteins to provide a context for the interaction of small molecule drugs with them. An important property of receptors is that they have a 3D structure. Proteins usually are comprised of one or... 

Li, L. (2000). Gonyaulax luciferase gene structure, protein expression, and purification from recombinant sources. Method. Enzymol. 305 249-258. 

Viruses are small infectious agents composed of a nucleic acid genome (DNA or RNA) encased by structural proteins and in some cases a lipid envelope. They are the causative agents of a number of human infectious diseases, the most important for public health today being acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis, influenza, measles, and vituses causing diarrhoea (e.g., rotavirus). In addition, certain viruses contribute to the development of cancer. Antiviral drugs inhibit viral replication by specifically targeting viral enzymes or functions and are used to treat specific virus-associated diseases. 

Interactions with the cytoskeleton seem to be responsible for the processing and the targeting of the Na+/fC+-ATPase to the appropriate compartment structures. Protein kinases are considered to play an essential role in modulation of the sodium pump. 

Lipoprotein fraction with apolipoprotein A-I as structural protein. HDL is believed to carry cholesterol away from the blood vessels and back to the liver. High... 

Lipoprotein fraction containing triglycerides and to a lesser degree cholesterol. VLDL is produced by the liver. The main structural protein connected to this lipoprotein class is apolipoprotein B. 

The infectious cycle of a (+)-strand RNA virus such as the hepatitis C virus differs by the fate of the viral RNA genome in the infected cell. Upon entry into the cell, the HCV genome is used as a messenger RNA to drive the synthesis of a large polyprotein precursor of about 3,000 residues [2]. The structural proteins are excised from the precursor by host cell signal peptidase. 

One exciting approach is the development of short sequences of RNA that bind specifically to HCV helicase and/or the protease activity found in the same hepatitis C virus-encoded non-structural protein, NS3, and inhibit helicase at sub-micromolar concenttations (Umehara et al. 2005). These molecules could provide the basis for developing potent helicase inhibitors with improved pharmacotherapeutic properties. 

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