protein structure

1. The three-dimensional structure of a protein that is often key to its enzyme function. The structure of a protein is characterized in four ways: The primary structure is the order of the different amino acids in a protein chain, whereas the secondary structure consists of the geometry of chain segments in forms such as helices or sheets. The tertiary structure describes how a protein folds in on itself; the quaternary structure of a protein describes how different protein chains hook up with each other.

Example Sentences

Unlike other methods to analyze protein structure such as mass spectrometry or cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography enables researchers to observe proteins in their native environment.

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Moreno concurs: "In school, we're taught to consider changes in protein structure or DNA sequences when looking for causes of disease, but we've demonstrated that those are not the only contributing factors. If you only consider a static picture of a protein or a cell, you miss out on discovering these changes that only appear when molecules are in motion."

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The amount and identity of natural lipids – fats and oils – found within a specific muscle tissue can influence the protein structure, and therefore the flavor, tenderness and juiciness, of the meat.

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In protein design, gradient descent can be used to compare the structure of new proteins predicted by AlphaFold2 with the desired protein structure.

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"That was understandable when we looked at how these phosphoevents distorted the G protein structure. Growth factors effectively 'steal' G proteins from GPCRs and in this way paralyze their signaling."

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