This document provides instructions for homework 4 in a summer 2018 biochemistry course. Students are asked to upload files to the online learning platform by June 24th. The homework involves describing in 1-2 sentences how each of three reagents or conditions - urea, high temperature, and low pH - can denature a protein by disrupting its native structure. Sample answers are provided explaining that urea forms hydrogen bonds with protein sites, high heat increases vibrations, and low pH protonates sites, all breaking intramolecular bonds.
1. CHEM 464 – Biochemistry I
Summer 2018
Homework 4: Upload file(s) to D2L by 6/24/18
1.
Each of the following reagents or conditions will denature a protein. For each, describe in one or
two sentences what the reagent/condition does to destroy native protein structure.
a. Urea
b. High-temperature
c. Low pH
Solution
NH2 and carbonyl groups of urea make hydrogen bonding with the hydrogen bonding sites in the
protein thus disrupts intramolecular hydrogen bonding which leads to denaturation of protein
molecule.
Due to increase in temperature kinetic energy of the molecule increases which makes molecule
to vibrate rapidly and violently, due to which the hydrogen bonds are disrupted. Hence denature
the protein.
Low pH increase the H+ ion concentration. Which protonates the hydrogen bonding sites hence
no intramolecular hydrogen bonding takes place which leads to denaturation of protein.
