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In biochemistry, denaturation is a process in which proteins or nucleic acids lose folded structure present in their native state due to various factors, including application of some external stress or compound, such as a strong acid or base, a concentrated inorganic salt, an organic solvent (e.g., alcohol or chloroform), agitation and radiation, or heat. [3]
Enzyme denaturation is normally linked to temperatures above a species' normal level; as a result, enzymes from bacteria living in volcanic environments such as hot springs are prized by industrial users for their ability to function at high temperatures, allowing enzyme-catalysed reactions to be operated at a very high rate.
Denaturation midpoint of a protein is defined as the temperature (T m) or concentration of denaturant (C m) at which both the folded and unfolded states are equally populated at equilibrium (assuming two-state protein folding). T m is often determined using a thermal shift assay.
In the less extensive technique of equilibrium unfolding, the fractions of folded and unfolded molecules (denoted as and , respectively) are measured as the solution conditions are gradually changed from those favoring the native state to those favoring the unfolded state, e.g., by adding a denaturant such as guanidinium hydrochloride or urea.
The enzyme's activity towards native proteins is stimulated by denaturants such as SDS. In contrast, when measured using peptide substrates, denaturants inhibit the enzyme. The reason for this result is that the denaturing agents unfold the protein substrates and make them more accessible to the protease.
Denaturation (biochemistry), a structural change in macromolecules caused by extreme conditions; Denaturation (fissile materials), transforming fissile materials so that they cannot be used in nuclear weapons; Denaturation (food), intentional adulteration of food or drink rendering it unfit for consumption while remaining suitable for other uses
Human enzymes start to denature quickly at temperatures above 40 °C. Enzymes from thermophilic archaea found in the hot springs are stable up to 100 °C. [13] However, the idea of an "optimum" rate of an enzyme reaction is misleading, as the rate observed at any temperature is the product of two rates, the reaction rate and the denaturation rate.
The polymerase chain reaction is the most widely used method for in vitro DNA amplification for purposes of molecular biology and biomedical research. [1] This process involves the separation of the double-stranded DNA in high heat into single strands (the denaturation step, typically achieved at 95–97 °C), annealing of the primers to the single stranded DNA (the annealing step) and copying ...