Exam 1 Fall 2006
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There are 24 questions in all. Questions 1-20 are multiple choice and are each worth 3 points. Questions 21-24 are essays and problems worth a total of 40 points.

You may find these helpful: R = 8.314 J/mole-K; T = 298 K; ΔG°′ = – R T ln Keq

              1. CH3COOH (aq) ↔ CH3COO- (aq) + H+ (aq). This reaction has Keq = 1.74 x 10-5 M.
ΔG for the reaction is (A) positive; (B) negative; (C) = 0; (D) negative, because ΔH is positive.

              2. A solution of                                  in water is most likely to form micelles.
(A) alanine; (B) lysine; (C) methionine; (D) serine.

              3. The pKa for a histidine side chain in solution is 6.00. The pKa for a histidine side chain that is near a carboxyl group in a protein, as shown here, would be
(A) unchanged, because the pKa is a constant;
(B) unchanged, because the interaction is a hydrogen bond, not an ionic interaction; (C) lower; (D) higher.

              4. The [H+] for pH 2.8 is                , which is                      than the [H+] for pH 4.3 .
(A) 1.6 x 10-3 M, more; (B) 2.8 M, less; (C) 2.8 x 10-3 M, more; (D) 0.45 M, less.

              5. The pKa's for alanine's α-COOH and α-NH3+ are 2.34 and 9.69, respectively. Changing the pH from 2 to 5 causes the net charge of Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala to change from                 to      .   (A) +5, +4; (B) +1, 0; (C) +5, 0; (D) +3, –2.

              6. Molecules that don't repel each other can precipitate. At what pH is an Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala-Ala solution most likely to precipitate? (A) pH 2.0; (B) pH. 2.3; (C) pH 6.0; (D) 9.7

7-8. Use molecule U
and this graph of its titration:


9. Use molecule X:

              7. Write the one-letter abbreviation for molecule U in the blank.

              8. The pH range for which molecule U is the most common form in solution is
(A) 0 – 1.5; (B) 2.0 – 3.0; (C) 4.0 – 6.0; (D) 8.0 – 9.0; (E) ≥ 10.0.

              9. Molecule X is the amino acid                which has been modified by adding                                                   .
(A) valine, phosphate; (B) isoleucine, acetate; (C) glycine, carboxyphosphate;
(D) threonine, phosphate.

              10. The diagram below represents part of a peptide backbone, with bonds labeled A-F .
A, B, D, and F label horizontal (–) bonds; C and E label vertical ( | ) bonds.
Which three letters represent bonds that have free rotation?
 

              11. Which choice is most disrupted by exposing a protein to detergent? (A) peptide bonds; (B) hydrogen bonds; (C) disulfide bonds; (D) hydrophobic interactions.

              12. When the disulfide bonds in ribonuclease A are reduced, and the protein is exposed to urea, it loses its                                                            structure. This can be reversed, if                                                                  first, and then                .
(A) primary and secondary, –S–S– bonds are re-formed, urea is removed;
(B) secondary and tertiary, –S–S– bonds are re-formed, urea is removed;
(C) secondary and tertiary, urea is removed, –S–S– bonds are re-formed;
(D) primary and secondary, urea is removed, –S–S– bonds are re-formed.

              13. Determining the sequence of any protein of more than 50 or so amino acid residues requires treatment with (A) peptide prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPI); (B) cyanogen bromide or a protease; (C) dithiothreitol reduction, followed by acetylation with iodoacetate to convert –SH to –S–CH3–COO-; (D) x-ray crystallography.

              14. The protein that catalyzes reversible disulfide bond formation in order to stabilize the optimal tertiary structure is (A) protein disulfide isomerase; (B) ribonuclease;
(C) chaperonin; (D) prion.

              15. Myoglobin and hemoglobin are different because myoglobin has                   , and hemoglobin has         . (A) only secondary structure, only tertiary structure;
(B) secondary and tertiary structure, quaternary structure;
(C) heme only, a protoporphyrin ring + iron;
(D) only α-helix secondary structure, α-helix and β-sheet secondary structure.

              16. Myoglobin and hemoglobin are also different because myoglobin has              affinity for O2, and hemoglobin has        binding. (A) higher, hyperbolic;
(B) lower, hyperbolic; (C) higher, cooperative; (D) lower, cooperative.

              17. For both myoglobin and hemoglobin, Kd is equal to (A) n, the Hill coefficient;
(B) [P] + [L]; (C) Θ; (D) P50, the pO2 at which 50% of binding sites are occupied.

              18. Sequences 1-4 include all 20 amino acids.
(1) H-E-A-R-D; (2) L-I-C-Q-S; (3) M-P-F-V-G; (4) T-W-Y-N-K.
When the sequences are ranked in order of increasing hydrophobicity (most hydrophobic last), they are (A) 2, 3, 4, 1; (B) 1, 4, 2, 3; (C) 4, 3, 1, 2; (D) 3, 2, 4, 1.

              19. As a result of the reaction catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase, increasing [CO2] causes an increase in (A) [H+]; (B) O2 bound by Hb; (C) pH; (D) all of these.

              20. Normal adult Hb is called Hb A, while Hb Milwaukee has a Glu at β 67 instead of Val. Hb Milwaukee is therefore more likely to
(A) have a different isoelectric point; (B) bind to BPG; (C) clump together and form crystals;
(D) bind CO2 and stabilize the R conformation.

21. These two diagrams are two ways of showing the structure of ribonuclease.
Answer either a or b (2). Also answer c and d (8).

      a. Ribonuclease has                                  α-helices. Use H to label the same one on both
       diagrams.
b. Ribonuclease has                                 β-sheets. Use S to label the same one on both diagrams
c. Name two types of information provided only by the diagram on the right.

d. Fill in the table below to answer some questions about tertiary structure for ribonuclease.
       Name two types of weak interaction that stabilize tertiary structure. Name an amino acid
       residue (not the same one both times) that might be involved, and the part of the amino
       acid (α-amine, α-carbon, α-carboxyl, or side chain).

type of weak interaction

amino acid residue

part of the residue involved

     
     


22. You need to prepare 1.00 L of a buffer for pH 6.00 with a total concentration of 0.250 M, and you have been told to use a weak acid that has a pKa = 5.68 and its conjugate base.
a. Calculate [A-] and [HA] for the buffer. Show your work . (6)
b. Comment on the effectiveness of the buffer compared to one with a pKa = 6.20. Explain. (4)

23. The amino acids listed below can be used to make a peptide with the sequence W-E-L-K.
a. Draw the structure of the peptide in the form you would expect to find at pH 3.0. (8)
b. Assuming that all pKa 's in the table still apply for this peptide, what is its pI? (2)

amino acid

α-COOH

α-NH3+

side chain

amino acid

α-COOH

α-NH3+

side chain

W

2.38

9.39

L

2.36

9.60

E

2.19

9.67

4.25

K

2.18

8.95

10.53

24. The graph represents Θ as a function of pO2 for hemoglobin (Hb) in the absence of modulators.
a. Name two negative modulators of O2 binding by Hb and the part of Hb to which each
      binds. Be as specific as possible . (5)
b. Add a line to the graph to show the effect of adding one of the modulators from part a. (1)
c. Describe what would happen if both modulators were added.
       You may also draw a line for this on the graph if it is different from part b. (2)
d. Explain why this is advantageous for Hb function. (2)

 

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