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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]
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.
Enzyme structures unfold when heated or exposed to chemical denaturants and this disruption to the structure typically causes a loss of activity. [27] 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 ...
Oxidative phosphorylation uses these molecules and O 2 to produce ATP, which is used throughout the cell whenever energy is needed. During oxidative phosphorylation, electrons are transferred from the electron donors to a series of electron acceptors in a series of redox reactions ending in oxygen, whose reaction releases half of the total energy.
Exopeptidase enzymes exist in the small intestine. These enzymes have two classes: aminopeptidases are a brush border enzyme and carboxypeptidases which is from the pancreas. Aminopeptidases are enzymes that remove amino acids from the amino terminus of protein. They are present in all lifeforms and are crucial for survival since they do many ...
Organic cofactors are small organic molecules (typically a molecular mass less than 1000 Da) that can be either loosely or tightly bound to the enzyme and directly participate in the reaction. [5] [24] [25] [26] In the latter case, when it is difficult to remove without denaturing the enzyme, it can be called a prosthetic group.
The DNA helicase and associated enzymes are now able to bind to the unwound region, creating a replication fork start. The unwinding of this duplex strand region is associated with a low free energy requirement, due to helical instability caused by specific base-stacking interactions, in combination with counteracting supercoiling.
DNA gyrase, or simply gyrase, is an enzyme within the class of topoisomerase and is a subclass of Type II topoisomerases [1] that reduces topological strain in an ATP dependent manner while double-stranded DNA is being unwound by elongating RNA-polymerase [2] or by helicase in front of the progressing replication fork.