Explain the relationship between the conformation of a protein and its function.

Question

also, what might disrupt/denature the conformation of a protein? Give a specific example.

Answer 1

Structure determines function.  There are proteins that are tunnel-shaped that assist the movement of specific compounds into and out of cells.  Proteins that are enzymes have active sites with specific shapes that are complementary to the substrates which bind them.  Most proteins have an ideal temperature and pH at which they function best, and heating a protein or exposing it to an environment which is too acidic or too alkaline can denature it.  For example, there are enzymes called lysozymes which are found in the lysosome, the organelle which aids in the breakdown of toxins and other unwanted compounds.  Lysozymes only function at a low pH, which is good because otherwise they would destroy everything in their path from the ribosome where they are made to the lysosome where they are sent.  Fortunately, the acidic environment of the lysosome is membrane-bound and does not interfere with the rest of the cell.  Also, cooking food denatures the proteins present; that is why vegetables tend to soften when they are cooked; the proteins that make each cell rigid are denatured.