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Hemoglobin

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Ernst Felix Immanuel Hoppe-Seyler ( né Felix Hoppe ; 26 December 1825 – 10 August 1895) was a German physiologist and chemist , and the principal founder of the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology . He had discovered Yeast nucleic acid which is now called RNA in his attempts to follow up and confirm Miescher's results by repeating parts of Miescher's experiments. He took the name Hoppe- Seyler when he was adopted by his brother-in-law, a grandson of the famous theatre principal Abel Seyler .

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127-584: Hemoglobin ( haemoglobin , Hb or Hgb ) is a protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells . Almost all vertebrates contain hemoglobin, with the sole exception of the fish family, Channichthyidae . Hemoglobin in the blood carries oxygen from the respiratory organs ( lungs or gills ) to the other tissues of the body, where it releases the oxygen to enable aerobic respiration which powers an animal's metabolism . A healthy human has 12   to 20   grams of hemoglobin in every 100   mL of blood. Hemoglobin

254-516: A carboxyl group, and a variable side chain are bonded . Only proline differs from this basic structure as it contains an unusual ring to the N-end amine group, which forces the CO–NH amide moiety into a fixed conformation. The side chains of the standard amino acids, detailed in the list of standard amino acids , have a great variety of chemical structures and properties; it is the combined effect of all of

381-439: A coordinate covalent bond , completing the octahedral group of six ligands. This reversible bonding with oxygen is why hemoglobin is so useful for transporting oxygen around the body. Oxygen binds in an "end-on bent" geometry where one oxygen atom binds to Fe and the other protrudes at an angle. When oxygen is not bound, a very weakly bonded water molecule fills the site, forming a distorted octahedron . Even though carbon dioxide

508-470: A gene may be duplicated before it can mutate freely. However, this can also lead to complete loss of gene function and thus pseudo-genes . More commonly, single amino acid changes have limited consequences although some can change protein function substantially, especially in enzymes . For instance, many enzymes can change their substrate specificity by one or a few mutations. Changes in substrate specificity are facilitated by substrate promiscuity , i.e.

635-552: A combination of sequence, structure and function, and they can be combined in many different ways. In an early study of 170,000 proteins, about two-thirds were assigned at least one domain, with larger proteins containing more domains (e.g. proteins larger than 600 amino acids having an average of more than 5 domains). Most proteins consist of linear polymers built from series of up to 20 different L -α- amino acids. All proteinogenic amino acids possess common structural features, including an α-carbon to which an amino group,

762-457: A conformational change in the protein and facilitates the release of oxygen. Protons bind at various places on the protein, while carbon dioxide binds at the α-amino group. Carbon dioxide binds to hemoglobin and forms carbaminohemoglobin . This decrease in hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen by the binding of carbon dioxide and acid is known as the Bohr effect . The Bohr effect favors the T state rather than

889-419: A decrease in blood pH. Ventilation , or breathing, may reverse this condition by removal of carbon dioxide , thus causing a shift up in pH. Hemoglobin exists in two forms, a taut (tense) form (T) and a relaxed form (R). Various factors such as low pH, high CO 2 and high 2,3 BPG at the level of the tissues favor the taut form, which has low oxygen affinity and releases oxygen in the tissues. Conversely,

1016-403: A defined conformation . Proteins can interact with many types of molecules, including with other proteins , with lipids , with carbohydrates , and with DNA . It has been estimated that average-sized bacteria contain about 2 million proteins per cell (e.g. E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus ). Smaller bacteria, such as Mycoplasma or spirochetes contain fewer molecules, on

1143-834: A detailed review of the vegetable proteins at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station . Then, working with Lafayette Mendel and applying Liebig's law of the minimum , which states that growth is limited by the scarcest resource, to the feeding of laboratory rats, the nutritionally essential amino acids were established. The work was continued and communicated by William Cumming Rose . The difficulty in purifying proteins in large quantities made them very difficult for early protein biochemists to study. Hence, early studies focused on proteins that could be purified in large quantities, including those of blood, egg whites, and various toxins, as well as digestive and metabolic enzymes obtained from slaughterhouses. In

1270-451: A duplication event to form the HBA1 and HBA2 genes. These further duplications and divergences have created a diverse range of α- and β-like globin genes that are regulated so that certain forms occur at different stages of development. Most ice fish of the family Channichthyidae have lost their hemoglobin genes as an adaptation to cold water. When oxygen binds to the iron complex, it causes

1397-406: A high pH, low CO 2 , or low 2,3 BPG favors the relaxed form, which can better bind oxygen. The partial pressure of the system also affects O 2 affinity where, at high partial pressures of oxygen (such as those present in the alveoli), the relaxed (high affinity, R) state is favoured. Inversely, at low partial pressures (such as those present in respiring tissues), the (low affinity, T) tense state

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1524-478: A little ambiguous and can overlap in meaning. Protein is generally used to refer to the complete biological molecule in a stable conformation , whereas peptide is generally reserved for a short amino acid oligomers often lacking a stable 3D structure. But the boundary between the two is not well defined and usually lies near 20–30 residues. Polypeptide can refer to any single linear chain of amino acids, usually regardless of length, but often implies an absence of

1651-410: A particular cell or cell type is known as its proteome . The chief characteristic of proteins that also allows their diverse set of functions is their ability to bind other molecules specifically and tightly. The region of the protein responsible for binding another molecule is known as the binding site and is often a depression or "pocket" on the molecular surface. This binding ability is mediated by

1778-488: A phosphate "pocket" on the fish hemoglobin molecule, which stabilizes the tense state and therefore decreases oxygen affinity. GTP reduces hemoglobin oxygen affinity much more than ATP, which is thought to be due to an extra hydrogen bond formed that further stabilizes the tense state. Under hypoxic conditions, the concentration of both ATP and GTP is reduced in fish red blood cells to increase oxygen affinity. A variant hemoglobin, called fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α 2 γ 2 ),

1905-472: A professor of medicine in Kiel. Felix Hoppe-Seyler, a physiologist and chemist, became the principal founder of biochemistry. His text Physiological Chemistry became the standard text for this new branch of applied chemistry. His numerous investigations include studies of blood , hemoglobin , pus , bile , milk , and urine . Hoppe-Seyler was the first scientist to describe the optical absorption spectrum of

2032-500: A protein carries out its function: for example, enzyme kinetics studies explore the chemical mechanism of an enzyme's catalytic activity and its relative affinity for various possible substrate molecules. By contrast, in vivo experiments can provide information about the physiological role of a protein in the context of a cell or even a whole organism . In silico studies use computational methods to study proteins. Proteins may be purified from other cellular components using

2159-411: A protein is defined by the sequence of a gene, which is encoded in the genetic code . In general, the genetic code specifies 20 standard amino acids; but in certain organisms the genetic code can include selenocysteine and—in certain archaea — pyrrolysine . Shortly after or even during synthesis, the residues in a protein are often chemically modified by post-translational modification , which alters

2286-539: A protein that fold into distinct structural units. Domains usually also have specific functions, such as enzymatic activities (e.g. kinase ) or they serve as binding modules (e.g. the SH3 domain binds to proline-rich sequences in other proteins). Short amino acid sequences within proteins often act as recognition sites for other proteins. For instance, SH3 domains typically bind to short PxxP motifs (i.e. 2 prolines [P], separated by two unspecified amino acids [x], although

2413-486: A role in biological recognition phenomena involving cells and proteins. Receptors and hormones are highly specific binding proteins. Transmembrane proteins can also serve as ligand transport proteins that alter the permeability of the cell membrane to small molecules and ions. The membrane alone has a hydrophobic core through which polar or charged molecules cannot diffuse . Membrane proteins contain internal channels that allow such molecules to enter and exit

2540-406: A series of purification steps may be necessary to obtain protein sufficiently pure for laboratory applications. To simplify this process, genetic engineering is often used to add chemical features to proteins that make them easier to purify without affecting their structure or activity. Here, a "tag" consisting of a specific amino acid sequence, often a series of histidine residues (a " His-tag "),

2667-509: A set of alpha-helix structural segments connected together in a globin fold arrangement. Such a name is given because this arrangement is the same folding motif used in other heme/globin proteins such as myoglobin . This folding pattern contains a pocket that strongly binds the heme group. A heme group consists of an iron (Fe) ion held in a heterocyclic ring, known as a porphyrin . This porphyrin ring consists of four pyrrole molecules cyclically linked together (by methine bridges) with

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2794-432: A solution known as a crude lysate . The resulting mixture can be purified using ultracentrifugation , which fractionates the various cellular components into fractions containing soluble proteins; membrane lipids and proteins; cellular organelles , and nucleic acids . Precipitation by a method known as salting out can concentrate the proteins from this lysate. Various types of chromatography are then used to isolate

2921-410: A tetrameric architecture after the duplication. The development of α and β genes created the potential for hemoglobin to be composed of multiple distinct subunits, a physical composition central to hemoglobin's ability to transport oxygen. Having multiple subunits contributes to hemoglobin's ability to bind oxygen cooperatively as well as be regulated allosterically. Subsequently, the α gene also underwent

3048-441: A variety of techniques such as ultracentrifugation , precipitation , electrophoresis , and chromatography ; the advent of genetic engineering has made possible a number of methods to facilitate purification. To perform in vitro analysis, a protein must be purified away from other cellular components. This process usually begins with cell lysis , in which a cell's membrane is disrupted and its internal contents released into

3175-504: Is diamagnetic , whereas both oxygen and high-spin iron(II) are paramagnetic . Experimental evidence strongly suggests heme iron is in the iron(III) oxidation state in oxyhemoglobin, with the oxygen existing as superoxide anion (O 2 ) or in a covalent charge-transfer complex. Deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyhemoglobin) is the form of hemoglobin without the bound oxygen. The absorption spectra of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin differ. The oxyhemoglobin has significantly lower absorption of

3302-557: Is a metalloprotein , a chromoprotein , and globulin . In mammals , hemoglobin makes up about 96% of a red blood cell's dry weight (excluding water), and around 35% of the total weight (including water). Hemoglobin has an oxygen-binding capacity of 1.34   mL of O 2 per gram, which increases the total blood oxygen capacity seventy-fold compared to dissolved oxygen in blood plasma alone. The mammalian hemoglobin molecule can bind and transport up to four oxygen molecules. Hemoglobin also transports other gases. It carries off some of

3429-475: Is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas, and poses a potentially fatal threat, carbon monoxide detectors have become commercially available to warn of dangerous levels in residences. When hemoglobin combines with CO, it forms a very bright red compound called carboxyhemoglobin , which may cause the skin of CO poisoning victims to appear pink in death, instead of white or blue. When inspired air contains CO levels as low as 0.02%, headache and nausea occur; if

3556-449: Is a higher offspring survival rate among Tibetan women with high oxygen saturation genotypes residing at 4,000 m. Natural selection seems to be the main force working on this gene because the mortality rate of offspring is significantly lower for women with higher hemoglobin-oxygen affinity when compared to the mortality rate of offspring from women with low hemoglobin-oxygen affinity. While the exact genotype and mechanism by which this occurs

3683-417: Is attached to one terminus of the protein. As a result, when the lysate is passed over a chromatography column containing nickel , the histidine residues ligate the nickel and attach to the column while the untagged components of the lysate pass unimpeded. A number of different tags have been developed to help researchers purify specific proteins from complex mixtures. Felix Hoppe-Seyler Hoppe-Seyler

3810-473: Is bound to amino groups of the globin proteins to form carbaminohemoglobin ; this mechanism is thought to account for about 10% of carbon dioxide transport in mammals. Nitric oxide can also be transported by hemoglobin; it is bound to specific thiol groups in the globin protein to form an S-nitrosothiol, which dissociates into free nitric oxide and thiol again, as the hemoglobin releases oxygen from its heme site. This nitric oxide transport to peripheral tissues

3937-419: Is called the root effect . This is seen in bony fish. It is necessary for hemoglobin to release the oxygen that it binds; if not, there is no point in binding it. The sigmoidal curve of hemoglobin makes it efficient in binding (taking up O 2 in lungs), and efficient in unloading (unloading O 2 in tissues). In people acclimated to high altitudes, the concentration of 2,3-Bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) in

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4064-417: Is carried by hemoglobin, it does not compete with oxygen for the iron-binding positions but is bound to the amine groups of the protein chains attached to the heme groups. The iron ion may be either in the ferrous Fe or in the ferric Fe state, but ferrihemoglobin ( methemoglobin ) (Fe) cannot bind oxygen. In binding, oxygen temporarily and reversibly oxidizes (Fe) to (Fe) while oxygen temporarily turns into

4191-409: Is denoted as α 2 β 2 . The subunits are structurally similar and about the same size. Each subunit has a molecular weight of about 16,000  daltons , for a total molecular weight of the tetramer of about 64,000 daltons (64,458 g/mol). Thus, 1 g/dL=0.1551 mmol/L. Hemoglobin A is the most intensively studied of the hemoglobin molecules. In human infants, the fetal hemoglobin molecule

4318-510: Is derived from the words heme (or haem ) and globin , reflecting the fact that each subunit of hemoglobin is a globular protein with an embedded heme group. Each heme group contains one iron atom, that can bind one oxygen molecule through ion-induced dipole forces. The most common type of hemoglobin in mammals contains four such subunits. Hemoglobin consists of protein subunits ( globin molecules), which are polypeptides , long folded chains of specific amino acids which determine

4445-562: Is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes , and which usually results in protein folding into a specific 3D structure that determines its activity. A linear chain of amino acid residues is called a polypeptide . A protein contains at least one long polypeptide. Short polypeptides, containing less than 20–30 residues, are rarely considered to be proteins and are commonly called peptides . The individual amino acid residues are bonded together by peptide bonds and adjacent amino acid residues. The sequence of amino acid residues in

4572-428: Is favoured. Additionally, the binding of oxygen to the iron(II) heme pulls the iron into the plane of the porphyrin ring, causing a slight conformational shift. The shift encourages oxygen to bind to the three remaining heme units within hemoglobin (thus, oxygen binding is cooperative). Classically, the iron in oxyhemoglobin is seen as existing in the iron(II) oxidation state. However, the complex of oxygen with heme iron

4699-628: Is found in hard or filamentous structures such as hair , nails , feathers , hooves , and some animal shells . Some globular proteins can also play structural functions, for example, actin and tubulin are globular and soluble as monomers, but polymerize to form long, stiff fibers that make up the cytoskeleton , which allows the cell to maintain its shape and size. Other proteins that serve structural functions are motor proteins such as myosin , kinesin , and dynein , which are capable of generating mechanical forces. These proteins are crucial for cellular motility of single celled organisms and

4826-444: Is found in the developing fetus , and binds oxygen with greater affinity than adult hemoglobin. This means that the oxygen binding curve for fetal hemoglobin is left-shifted (i.e., a higher percentage of hemoglobin has oxygen bound to it at lower oxygen tension), in comparison to that of adult hemoglobin. As a result, fetal blood in the placenta is able to take oxygen from maternal blood. Hemoglobin also carries nitric oxide (NO) in

4953-469: Is higher in prokaryotes than eukaryotes and can reach up to 20 amino acids per second. The process of synthesizing a protein from an mRNA template is known as translation . The mRNA is loaded onto the ribosome and is read three nucleotides at a time by matching each codon to its base pairing anticodon located on a transfer RNA molecule, which carries the amino acid corresponding to the codon it recognizes. The enzyme aminoacyl tRNA synthetase "charges"

5080-464: Is hypothesized to assist oxygen transport in tissues, by releasing vasodilatory nitric oxide to tissues in which oxygen levels are low. The binding of oxygen is affected by molecules such as carbon monoxide (for example, from tobacco smoking , exhaust gas , and incomplete combustion in furnaces). CO competes with oxygen at the heme binding site. Hemoglobin's binding affinity for CO is 250 times greater than its affinity for oxygen, Since carbon monoxide

5207-461: Is inefficient for polypeptides longer than about 300 amino acids, and the synthesized proteins may not readily assume their native tertiary structure . Most chemical synthesis methods proceed from C-terminus to N-terminus, opposite the biological reaction. Most proteins fold into unique 3D structures. The shape into which a protein naturally folds is known as its native conformation . Although many proteins can fold unassisted, simply through

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5334-453: Is made up of 2 α chains and 2 γ chains. The γ chains are gradually replaced by β chains as the infant grows. The four polypeptide chains are bound to each other by salt bridges , hydrogen bonds , and the hydrophobic effect . In general, hemoglobin can be saturated with oxygen molecules (oxyhemoglobin), or desaturated with oxygen molecules (deoxyhemoglobin). Oxyhemoglobin is formed during physiological respiration when oxygen binds to

5461-645: Is not released in the cytoplasm of red blood cells but transported out of them by an anion exchanger called AE1 . Protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues . Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions , DNA replication , responding to stimuli , providing structure to cells and organisms , and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which

5588-425: Is not yet clear, selection is acting on these women's ability to bind oxygen in low partial pressures, which overall allows them to better sustain crucial metabolic processes. Hemoglobin (Hb) is synthesized in a complex series of steps. The heme part is synthesized in a series of steps in the mitochondria and the cytosol of immature red blood cells, while the globin protein parts are synthesized by ribosomes in

5715-404: Is often enormous—as much as 10 -fold increase in rate over the uncatalysed reaction in the case of orotate decarboxylase (78 million years without the enzyme, 18 milliseconds with the enzyme). The molecules bound and acted upon by enzymes are called substrates . Although enzymes can consist of hundreds of amino acids, it is usually only a small fraction of the residues that come in contact with

5842-545: Is protected by a reduction system to keep this from happening. Nitric oxide is capable of converting a small fraction of hemoglobin to methemoglobin in red blood cells. The latter reaction is a remnant activity of the more ancient nitric oxide dioxygenase function of globins. Carbon di oxide occupies a different binding site on the hemoglobin. At tissues, where carbon dioxide concentration is higher, carbon dioxide binds to allosteric site of hemoglobin, facilitating unloading of oxygen from hemoglobin and ultimately its removal from

5969-478: Is tasked with oxygen transport. The α- and β-like globin genes encode the individual subunits of the protein. The predecessors of these genes arose through another duplication event also after the gnathosome common ancestor derived from jawless fish, approximately 450–500 million years ago. Ancestral reconstruction studies suggest that the preduplication ancestor of the α and β genes was a dimer made up of identical globin subunits, which then evolved to assemble into

6096-532: Is the code for methionine . Because DNA contains four nucleotides, the total number of possible codons is 64; hence, there is some redundancy in the genetic code, with some amino acids specified by more than one codon. Genes encoded in DNA are first transcribed into pre- messenger RNA (mRNA) by proteins such as RNA polymerase . Most organisms then process the pre-mRNA (also known as a primary transcript ) using various forms of post-transcriptional modification to form

6223-462: Is weakly attracted to magnetic fields . In contrast, oxygenated hemoglobin exhibits diamagnetism , a weak repulsion from a magnetic field. Scientists agree that the event that separated myoglobin from hemoglobin occurred after lampreys diverged from jawed vertebrates . This separation of myoglobin and hemoglobin allowed for the different functions of the two molecules to arise and develop: myoglobin has more to do with oxygen storage while hemoglobin

6350-516: The Pleistocene . This was also found in hummingbirds that inhabit the Andes. Hummingbirds already expend a lot of energy and thus have high oxygen demands and yet Andean hummingbirds have been found to thrive in high altitudes. Non-synonymous mutations in the hemoglobin gene of multiple species living at high elevations ( Oreotrochilus, A. castelnaudii, C. violifer, P. gigas, and A. viridicuada ) have caused

6477-486: The amino acid leucine for which he found a (nearly correct) molecular weight of 131 Da . Early nutritional scientists such as the German Carl von Voit believed that protein was the most important nutrient for maintaining the structure of the body, because it was generally believed that "flesh makes flesh." Around 1862, Karl Heinrich Ritthausen isolated the amino acid glutamic acid . Thomas Burr Osborne compiled

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6604-644: The muscle sarcomere , with a molecular mass of almost 3,000 kDa and a total length of almost 27,000 amino acids. Short proteins can also be synthesized chemically by a family of methods known as peptide synthesis , which rely on organic synthesis techniques such as chemical ligation to produce peptides in high yield. Chemical synthesis allows for the introduction of non-natural amino acids into polypeptide chains, such as attachment of fluorescent probes to amino acid side chains. These methods are useful in laboratory biochemistry and cell biology , though generally not for commercial applications. Chemical synthesis

6731-645: The sperm of many multicellular organisms which reproduce sexually . They also generate the forces exerted by contracting muscles and play essential roles in intracellular transport. A key question in molecular biology is how proteins evolve, i.e. how can mutations (or rather changes in amino acid sequence) lead to new structures and functions? Most amino acids in a protein can be changed without disrupting activity or function, as can be seen from numerous homologous proteins across species (as collected in specialized databases for protein families , e.g. PFAM ). In order to prevent dramatic consequences of mutations,

6858-596: The superoxide ion, thus iron must exist in the +2 oxidation state to bind oxygen. If superoxide ion associated to Fe is protonated, the hemoglobin iron will remain oxidized and incapable of binding oxygen. In such cases, the enzyme methemoglobin reductase will be able to eventually reactivate methemoglobin by reducing the iron center. In adult humans, the most common hemoglobin type is a tetramer (which contains four subunit proteins) called hemoglobin A , consisting of two α and two β subunits non-covalently bound, each made of 141 and 146 amino acid residues, respectively. This

6985-432: The vasculature (this hemoglobin-synthetic RNA in fact gives the reticulocyte its reticulated appearance and name). Hemoglobin has a quaternary structure characteristic of many multi-subunit globular proteins. Most of the amino acids in hemoglobin form alpha helices , and these helices are connected by short non-helical segments. Hydrogen bonds stabilize the helical sections inside this protein, causing attractions within

7112-493: The 1700s by Antoine Fourcroy and others, who often collectively called them " albumins ", or "albuminous materials" ( Eiweisskörper , in German). Gluten , for example, was first separated from wheat in published research around 1747, and later determined to exist in many plants. In 1789, Antoine Fourcroy recognized three distinct varieties of animal proteins: albumin , fibrin , and gelatin . Vegetable (plant) proteins studied in

7239-562: The 1950s, the Armour Hot Dog Company purified 1 kg of pure bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A and made it freely available to scientists; this gesture helped ribonuclease A become a major target for biochemical study for the following decades. The understanding of proteins as polypeptides , or chains of amino acids, came through the work of Franz Hofmeister and Hermann Emil Fischer in 1902. The central role of proteins as enzymes in living organisms that catalyzed reactions

7366-498: The 20,000 or so proteins encoded by the human genome, only 6,000 are detected in lymphoblastoid cells. Proteins are assembled from amino acids using information encoded in genes. Each protein has its own unique amino acid sequence that is specified by the nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding this protein. The genetic code is a set of three-nucleotide sets called codons and each three-nucleotide combination designates an amino acid, for example AUG ( adenine – uracil – guanine )

7493-419: The 660 nm wavelength than deoxyhemoglobin, while at 940 nm its absorption is slightly higher. This difference is used for the measurement of the amount of oxygen in a patient's blood by an instrument called a pulse oximeter . This difference also accounts for the presentation of cyanosis , the blue to purplish color that tissues develop during hypoxia . Deoxygenated hemoglobin is paramagnetic ; it

7620-528: The CO concentration is increased to 0.1%, unconsciousness will follow. In heavy smokers, up to 20% of the oxygen-active sites can be blocked by CO. In similar fashion, hemoglobin also has competitive binding affinity for cyanide (CN), sulfur monoxide (SO), and sulfide (S), including hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). All of these bind to iron in heme without changing its oxidation state, but they nevertheless inhibit oxygen-binding, causing grave toxicity. The iron atom in

7747-516: The EC number system provides a functional classification scheme. Similarly, the gene ontology classifies both genes and proteins by their biological and biochemical function, but also by their intracellular location. Sequence similarity is used to classify proteins both in terms of evolutionary and functional similarity. This may use either whole proteins or protein domains , especially in multi-domain proteins . Protein domains allow protein classification by

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7874-405: The R state. (shifts the O 2 -saturation curve to the right ). Conversely, when the carbon dioxide levels in the blood decrease (i.e., in the lung capillaries), carbon dioxide and protons are released from hemoglobin, increasing the oxygen affinity of the protein. A reduction in the total binding capacity of hemoglobin to oxygen (i.e. shifting the curve down, not just to the right) due to reduced pH

8001-709: The ability of many enzymes to bind and process multiple substrates . When mutations occur, the specificity of an enzyme can increase (or decrease) and thus its enzymatic activity. Thus, bacteria (or other organisms) can adapt to different food sources, including unnatural substrates such as plastic. Methods commonly used to study protein structure and function include immunohistochemistry , site-directed mutagenesis , X-ray crystallography , nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry . The activities and structures of proteins may be examined in vitro , in vivo , and in silico . In vitro studies of purified proteins in controlled environments are useful for learning how

8128-405: The addition of a single methyl group to a binding partner can sometimes suffice to nearly eliminate binding; for example, the aminoacyl tRNA synthetase specific to the amino acid valine discriminates against the very similar side chain of the amino acid isoleucine . Proteins can bind to other proteins as well as to small-molecule substrates. When proteins bind specifically to other copies of

8255-595: The alpha carbons are roughly coplanar . The other two dihedral angles in the peptide bond determine the local shape assumed by the protein backbone. The end with a free amino group is known as the N-terminus or amino terminus, whereas the end of the protein with a free carboxyl group is known as the C-terminus or carboxy terminus (the sequence of the protein is written from N-terminus to C-terminus, from left to right). The words protein , polypeptide, and peptide are

8382-531: The amino acid side chains in a protein that ultimately determines its three-dimensional structure and its chemical reactivity. The amino acids in a polypeptide chain are linked by peptide bonds . Once linked in the protein chain, an individual amino acid is called a residue, and the linked series of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms are known as the main chain or protein backbone. The peptide bond has two resonance forms that contribute some double-bond character and inhibit rotation around its axis, so that

8509-538: The beta subunit is coded by gene HBB on chromosome 11. The amino acid sequences of the globin subunits usually differ between species, with the difference growing with evolutionary distance. For example, the most common hemoglobin sequences in humans, bonobos and chimpanzees are completely identical, with exactly the same alpha and beta globin protein chains. Human and gorilla hemoglobin differ in one amino acid in both alpha and beta chains, and these differences grow larger between less closely related species. Mutations in

8636-574: The binding of a substrate molecule to an enzyme's active site , or the physical region of the protein that participates in chemical catalysis. In solution, proteins also undergo variation in structure through thermal vibration and the collision with other molecules. Proteins can be informally divided into three main classes, which correlate with typical tertiary structures: globular proteins , fibrous proteins , and membrane proteins . Almost all globular proteins are soluble and many are enzymes. Fibrous proteins are often structural, such as collagen ,

8763-419: The binding of oxygen to the remaining three monomers' heme groups, thus saturating the hemoglobin molecule with oxygen. In the tetrameric form of normal adult hemoglobin, the binding of oxygen is, thus, a cooperative process . The binding affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen is increased by the oxygen saturation of the molecule, with the first molecules of oxygen bound influencing the shape of the binding sites for

8890-402: The blood is increased, which allows these individuals to deliver a larger amount of oxygen to tissues under conditions of lower oxygen tension . This phenomenon, where molecule Y affects the binding of molecule X to a transport molecule Z, is called a heterotropic allosteric effect. Hemoglobin in organisms at high altitudes has also adapted such that it has less of an affinity for 2,3-BPG and so

9017-468: The body after the oxygen has been released to tissues undergoing metabolism. This increased affinity for carbon dioxide by the venous blood is known as the Bohr effect . Through the enzyme carbonic anhydrase , carbon dioxide reacts with water to give carbonic acid , which decomposes into bicarbonate and protons : Hence, blood with high carbon dioxide levels is also lower in pH (more acidic ). Hemoglobin can bind protons and carbon dioxide, which causes

9144-570: The body of a multicellular organism. These proteins must have a high binding affinity when their ligand is present in high concentrations, but must also release the ligand when it is present at low concentrations in the target tissues. The canonical example of a ligand-binding protein is haemoglobin , which transports oxygen from the lungs to other organs and tissues in all vertebrates and has close homologs in every biological kingdom . Lectins are sugar-binding proteins which are highly specific for their sugar moieties. Lectins typically play

9271-562: The body's respiratory carbon dioxide (about 20–25% of the total) as carbaminohemoglobin , in which CO 2 binds to the heme protein . The molecule also carries the important regulatory molecule nitric oxide bound to a thiol group in the globin protein, releasing it at the same time as oxygen. Hemoglobin is also found in other cells, including in the A9 dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra , macrophages , alveolar cells , lungs, retinal pigment epithelium, hepatocytes, mesangial cells of

9398-558: The cell is as enzymes , which catalyse chemical reactions. Enzymes are usually highly specific and accelerate only one or a few chemical reactions. Enzymes carry out most of the reactions involved in metabolism , as well as manipulating DNA in processes such as DNA replication , DNA repair , and transcription . Some enzymes act on other proteins to add or remove chemical groups in a process known as posttranslational modification. About 4,000 reactions are known to be catalysed by enzymes. The rate acceleration conferred by enzymatic catalysis

9525-436: The cell surface and an effector domain within the cell, which may have enzymatic activity or may undergo a conformational change detected by other proteins within the cell. Antibodies are protein components of an adaptive immune system whose main function is to bind antigens , or foreign substances in the body, and target them for destruction. Antibodies can be secreted into the extracellular environment or anchored in

9652-752: The cell's machinery through the process of protein turnover . A protein's lifespan is measured in terms of its half-life and covers a wide range. They can exist for minutes or years with an average lifespan of 1–2 days in mammalian cells. Abnormal or misfolded proteins are degraded more rapidly either due to being targeted for destruction or due to being unstable. Like other biological macromolecules such as polysaccharides and nucleic acids , proteins are essential parts of organisms and participate in virtually every process within cells . Many proteins are enzymes that catalyse biochemical reactions and are vital to metabolism . Proteins also have structural or mechanical functions, such as actin and myosin in muscle and

9779-450: The cell. Many ion channel proteins are specialized to select for only a particular ion; for example, potassium and sodium channels often discriminate for only one of the two ions. Structural proteins confer stiffness and rigidity to otherwise-fluid biological components. Most structural proteins are fibrous proteins ; for example, collagen and elastin are critical components of connective tissue such as cartilage , and keratin

9906-621: The chemical properties of their amino acids, others require the aid of molecular chaperones to fold into their native states. Biochemists often refer to four distinct aspects of a protein's structure: Proteins are not entirely rigid molecules. In addition to these levels of structure, proteins may shift between several related structures while they perform their functions. In the context of these functional rearrangements, these tertiary or quaternary structures are usually referred to as " conformations ", and transitions between them are called conformational changes. Such changes are often induced by

10033-441: The chief actors within the cell, said to be carrying out the duties specified by the information encoded in genes. With the exception of certain types of RNA , most other biological molecules are relatively inert elements upon which proteins act. Proteins make up half the dry weight of an Escherichia coli cell, whereas other macromolecules such as DNA and RNA make up only 3% and 20%, respectively. The set of proteins expressed in

10160-490: The construction of enormously complex signaling networks. As interactions between proteins are reversible, and depend heavily on the availability of different groups of partner proteins to form aggregates that are capable to carry out discrete sets of function, study of the interactions between specific proteins is a key to understand important aspects of cellular function, and ultimately the properties that distinguish particular cell types. The best-known role of proteins in

10287-425: The cytosol. Production of Hb continues in the cell throughout its early development from the proerythroblast to the reticulocyte in the bone marrow . At this point, the nucleus is lost in mammalian red blood cells, but not in birds and many other species. Even after the loss of the nucleus in mammals, residual ribosomal RNA allows further synthesis of Hb until the reticulocyte loses its RNA soon after entering

10414-408: The derivative unit kilodalton (kDa). The average size of a protein increases from Archaea to Bacteria to Eukaryote (283, 311, 438 residues and 31, 34, 49 kDa respectively) due to a bigger number of protein domains constituting proteins in higher organisms. For instance, yeast proteins are on average 466 amino acids long and 53 kDa in mass. The largest known proteins are the titins , a component of

10541-447: The erroneous conclusion that they might be composed of a single type of (very large) molecule. The term "protein" to describe these molecules was proposed by Mulder's associate Berzelius; protein is derived from the Greek word πρώτειος ( proteios ), meaning "primary", "in the lead", or "standing in front", + -in . Mulder went on to identify the products of protein degradation such as

10668-401: The genes for hemoglobin can result in variants of hemoglobin within a single species, although one sequence is usually "most common" in each species. Many of these mutations cause no disease, but some cause a group of hereditary diseases called hemoglobinopathies . The best known hemoglobinopathy is sickle-cell disease , which was the first human disease whose mechanism was understood at

10795-409: The globin part of the molecule. This improves oxygen delivery in the periphery and contributes to the control of respiration. NO binds reversibly to a specific cysteine residue in globin; the binding depends on the state (R or T) of the hemoglobin. The resulting S-nitrosylated hemoglobin influences various NO-related activities such as the control of vascular resistance, blood pressure and respiration. NO

10922-399: The heme component of the protein hemoglobin in red blood cells. This process occurs in the pulmonary capillaries adjacent to the alveoli of the lungs. The oxygen then travels through the blood stream to be dropped off at cells where it is utilized as a terminal electron acceptor in the production of ATP by the process of oxidative phosphorylation . It does not, however, help to counteract

11049-399: The heme group must initially be in the ferrous (Fe) oxidation state to support oxygen and other gases' binding and transport (it temporarily switches to ferric during the time oxygen is bound, as explained above). Initial oxidation to the ferric (Fe) state without oxygen converts hemoglobin into "hem i globin" or methemoglobin , which cannot bind oxygen. Hemoglobin in normal red blood cells

11176-573: The higher pressures at sea level. Recent studies of deer mice found mutations in four genes that can account for differences between high- and low-elevation populations. It was found that the genes of the two breeds are "virtually identical—except for those that govern the oxygen-carrying capacity of their hemoglobin. . . . The genetic difference enables highland mice to make more efficient use of their oxygen." Mammoth hemoglobin featured mutations that allowed for oxygen delivery at lower temperatures, thus enabling mammoths to migrate to higher latitudes during

11303-412: The histidine as it moves nearer to the iron atom. This strain is transmitted to the remaining three monomers in the tetramer, where it induces a similar conformational change in the other heme sites such that binding of oxygen to these sites becomes easier. As oxygen binds to one monomer of hemoglobin, the tetramer's conformation shifts from the T (tense) state to the R (relaxed) state. This shift promotes

11430-401: The iron atom to move back toward the center of the plane of the porphyrin ring (see moving diagram). At the same time, the imidazole side-chain of the histidine residue interacting at the other pole of the iron is pulled toward the porphyrin ring. This interaction forces the plane of the ring sideways toward the outside of the tetramer, and also induces a strain in the protein helix containing

11557-424: The iron ion bound in the center. The iron ion, which is the site of oxygen binding, coordinates with the four nitrogen atoms in the center of the ring, which all lie in one plane. The heme is bound strongly (covalently) to the globular protein via the N atoms of the imidazole ring of F8 histidine residue (also known as the proximal histidine) below the porphyrin ring. A sixth position can reversibly bind oxygen by

11684-455: The keen promoter of science. Hoppe-Seyler performed important studies of chlorophyll . He is also credited with the isolation of several different proteins (which he referred to as "proteids"). In addition, he was the first scientist to purify lecithin and establish its composition. In 1877, he founded the Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie ( Journal for Physiological Chemistry ), and

11811-705: The kidney, endometrial cells, cervical cells, and vaginal epithelial cells. In these tissues, hemoglobin absorbs unneeded oxygen as an antioxidant , and regulates iron metabolism . Excessive glucose in the blood can attach to hemoglobin and raise the level of hemoglobin A1c. Hemoglobin and hemoglobin-like molecules are also found in many invertebrates, fungi, and plants. In these organisms, hemoglobins may carry oxygen, or they may transport and regulate other small molecules and ions such as carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfide. A variant called leghemoglobin serves to scavenge oxygen away from anaerobic systems such as

11938-525: The late 1700s and early 1800s included gluten , plant albumin , gliadin , and legumin . Proteins were first described by the Dutch chemist Gerardus Johannes Mulder and named by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1838. Mulder carried out elemental analysis of common proteins and found that nearly all proteins had the same empirical formula , C 400 H 620 N 100 O 120 P 1 S 1 . He came to

12065-478: The major component of connective tissue, or keratin , the protein component of hair and nails. Membrane proteins often serve as receptors or provide channels for polar or charged molecules to pass through the cell membrane . A special case of intramolecular hydrogen bonds within proteins, poorly shielded from water attack and hence promoting their own dehydration , are called dehydrons . Many proteins are composed of several protein domains , i.e. segments of

12192-443: The mature mRNA, which is then used as a template for protein synthesis by the ribosome . In prokaryotes the mRNA may either be used as soon as it is produced, or be bound by a ribosome after having moved away from the nucleoid . In contrast, eukaryotes make mRNA in the cell nucleus and then translocate it across the nuclear membrane into the cytoplasm , where protein synthesis then takes place. The rate of protein synthesis

12319-405: The membranes of specialized B cells known as plasma cells . Whereas enzymes are limited in their binding affinity for their substrates by the necessity of conducting their reaction, antibodies have no such constraints. An antibody's binding affinity to its target is extraordinarily high. Many ligand transport proteins bind particular small biomolecules and transport them to other locations in

12446-512: The molecular level. A mostly separate set of diseases called thalassemias involves underproduction of normal and sometimes abnormal hemoglobins, through problems and mutations in globin gene regulation . All these diseases produce anemia . Variations in hemoglobin sequences, as with other proteins, may be adaptive. For example, hemoglobin has been found to adapt in different ways to the thin air at high altitudes, where lower partial pressure of oxygen diminishes its binding to hemoglobin compared to

12573-486: The molecular mass of hemoglobin to n × 16000 ( n =number of iron atoms per hemoglobin molecule, now known to be 4), the first determination of a protein's molecular mass. This "hasty conclusion" drew ridicule from colleagues who could not believe that any molecule could be so large. However, Gilbert Smithson Adair confirmed Engelhart's results in 1925 by measuring the osmotic pressure of hemoglobin solutions. Although blood had been known to carry oxygen since at least 1794,

12700-429: The molecule, which then causes each polypeptide chain to fold into a specific shape. Hemoglobin's quaternary structure comes from its four subunits in roughly a tetrahedral arrangement. In most vertebrates, the hemoglobin molecule is an assembly of four globular protein subunits. Each subunit is composed of a protein chain tightly associated with a non-protein prosthetic heme group. Each protein chain arranges into

12827-411: The next ones, in a way favorable for binding. This positive cooperative binding is achieved through steric conformational changes of the hemoglobin protein complex as discussed above; i.e., when one subunit protein in hemoglobin becomes oxygenated, a conformational or structural change in the whole complex is initiated, causing the other subunits to gain an increased affinity for oxygen. As a consequence,

12954-439: The nitrogen-fixing nodules of leguminous plants, preventing oxygen poisoning. The medical condition hemoglobinemia , a form of anemia , is caused by intravascular hemolysis , in which hemoglobin leaks from red blood cells into the blood plasma . In 1825, Johann Friedrich Engelhart discovered that the ratio of iron to protein is identical in the hemoglobins of several species. From the known atomic mass of iron, he calculated

13081-496: The nobel prize in 1972, solidified the thermodynamic hypothesis of protein folding, according to which the folded form of a protein represents its free energy minimum. With the development of X-ray crystallography , it became possible to determine protein structures as well as their sequences. The first protein structures to be solved were hemoglobin by Max Perutz and myoglobin by John Kendrew , in 1958. The use of computers and increasing computing power also supported

13208-500: The order of 50,000 to 1 million. By contrast, eukaryotic cells are larger and thus contain much more protein. For instance, yeast cells have been estimated to contain about 50 million proteins and human cells on the order of 1 to 3 billion. The concentration of individual protein copies ranges from a few molecules per cell up to 20 million. Not all genes coding proteins are expressed in most cells and their number depends on, for example, cell type and external stimuli. For instance, of

13335-552: The oxygen binding curve of hemoglobin is sigmoidal , or S -shaped, as opposed to the normal hyperbolic curve associated with noncooperative binding. The dynamic mechanism of the cooperativity in hemoglobin and its relation with low-frequency resonance has been discussed. Besides the oxygen ligand , which binds to hemoglobin in a cooperative manner, hemoglobin ligands also include competitive inhibitors such as carbon monoxide (CO) and allosteric ligands such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitric oxide (NO). The carbon dioxide

13462-411: The oxygen-carrying property of hemoglobin was described by Hünefeld in 1840. In 1851, German physiologist Otto Funke published a series of articles in which he described growing hemoglobin crystals by successively diluting red blood cells with a solvent such as pure water, alcohol or ether, followed by slow evaporation of the solvent from the resulting protein solution. Hemoglobin's reversible oxygenation

13589-440: The physical and chemical properties, folding, stability, activity, and ultimately, the function of the proteins. Some proteins have non-peptide groups attached, which can be called prosthetic groups or cofactors . Proteins can also work together to achieve a particular function, and they often associate to form stable protein complexes . Once formed, proteins only exist for a certain period and are then degraded and recycled by

13716-424: The process of cell signaling and signal transduction . Some proteins, such as insulin , are extracellular proteins that transmit a signal from the cell in which they were synthesized to other cells in distant tissues . Others are membrane proteins that act as receptors whose main function is to bind a signaling molecule and induce a biochemical response in the cell. Many receptors have a binding site exposed on

13843-534: The protein or proteins of interest based on properties such as molecular weight, net charge and binding affinity. The level of purification can be monitored using various types of gel electrophoresis if the desired protein's molecular weight and isoelectric point are known, by spectroscopy if the protein has distinguishable spectroscopic features, or by enzyme assays if the protein has enzymatic activity. Additionally, proteins can be isolated according to their charge using electrofocusing . For natural proteins,

13970-489: The protein to have less of an affinity for inositol hexaphosphate (IHP), a molecule found in birds that has a similar role as 2,3-BPG in humans; this results in the ability to bind oxygen in lower partial pressures. Birds' unique circulatory lungs also promote efficient use of oxygen at low partial pressures of O 2 . These two adaptations reinforce each other and account for birds' remarkable high-altitude performance. Hemoglobin adaptation extends to humans, as well. There

14097-409: The protein will be shifted more towards its R state. In its R state, hemoglobin will bind oxygen more readily, thus allowing organisms to perform the necessary metabolic processes when oxygen is present at low partial pressures. Animals other than humans use different molecules to bind to hemoglobin and change its O 2 affinity under unfavorable conditions. Fish use both ATP and GTP . These bind to

14224-432: The protein's chemical properties and function. The amino acid sequence of any polypeptide is translated from a segment of DNA, the corresponding gene . There is more than one hemoglobin gene. In humans, hemoglobin A (the main form of hemoglobin in adults) is coded by genes HBA1 , HBA2 , and HBB . Alpha 1 and alpha 2 subunits are respectively coded by genes HBA1 and HBA2 close together on chromosome 16, while

14351-427: The proteins in the cytoskeleton , which form a system of scaffolding that maintains cell shape. Other proteins are important in cell signaling, immune responses , cell adhesion , and the cell cycle . In animals, proteins are needed in the diet to provide the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized . Digestion breaks the proteins down for metabolic use. Proteins have been studied and recognized since

14478-576: The red blood pigment and its two distinctive absorption bands. He also recognized the binding of oxygen to erythrocytes as a function of hemoglobin , which in turn creates the compound oxyhemoglobin . Hoppe-Seyler was able to obtain hemoglobin in crystalline form, and confirmed that it contained iron . He became an elected member of the French Academy of Sciences , despite the unfavorable political terms between France and Germany at that time, and this helped him gain an international reputation as

14605-582: The same molecule, they can oligomerize to form fibrils; this process occurs often in structural proteins that consist of globular monomers that self-associate to form rigid fibers. Protein–protein interactions also regulate enzymatic activity, control progression through the cell cycle , and allow the assembly of large protein complexes that carry out many closely related reactions with a common biological function. Proteins can also bind to, or even be integrated into, cell membranes. The ability of binding partners to induce conformational changes in proteins allows

14732-573: The sample, allowing scientists to obtain more information and analyze larger structures. Computational protein structure prediction of small protein structural domains has also helped researchers to approach atomic-level resolution of protein structures. As of April 2024 , the Protein Data Bank contains 181,018 X-ray, 19,809 EM and 12,697 NMR protein structures. Proteins are primarily classified by sequence and structure, although other classifications are commonly used. Especially for enzymes

14859-430: The sequencing of complex proteins. In 1999, Roger Kornberg succeeded in sequencing the highly complex structure of RNA polymerase using high intensity X-rays from synchrotrons . Since then, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) of large macromolecular assemblies has been developed. Cryo-EM uses protein samples that are frozen rather than crystals, and beams of electrons rather than X-rays. It causes less damage to

14986-405: The substrate, and an even smaller fraction—three to four residues on average—that are directly involved in catalysis. The region of the enzyme that binds the substrate and contains the catalytic residues is known as the active site . Dirigent proteins are members of a class of proteins that dictate the stereochemistry of a compound synthesized by other enzymes. Many proteins are involved in

15113-706: The surrounding amino acids may determine the exact binding specificity). Many such motifs has been collected in the Eukaryotic Linear Motif (ELM) database. Topology of a protein describes the entanglement of the backbone and the arrangement of contacts within the folded chain. Two theoretical frameworks of knot theory and Circuit topology have been applied to characterise protein topology. Being able to describe protein topology opens up new pathways for protein engineering and pharmaceutical development, and adds to our understanding of protein misfolding diseases such as neuromuscular disorders and cancer. Proteins are

15240-400: The tRNA molecules with the correct amino acids. The growing polypeptide is often termed the nascent chain . Proteins are always biosynthesized from N-terminus to C-terminus . The size of a synthesized protein can be measured by the number of amino acids it contains and by its total molecular mass , which is normally reported in units of daltons (synonymous with atomic mass units ), or

15367-472: The tertiary structure of the protein, which defines the binding site pocket, and by the chemical properties of the surrounding amino acids' side chains. Protein binding can be extraordinarily tight and specific; for example, the ribonuclease inhibitor protein binds to human angiogenin with a sub-femtomolar dissociation constant (<10 M) but does not bind at all to its amphibian homolog onconase (> 1 M). Extremely minor chemical changes such as

15494-466: Was insulin , by Frederick Sanger , in 1949. Sanger correctly determined the amino acid sequence of insulin, thus conclusively demonstrating that proteins consisted of linear polymers of amino acids rather than branched chains, colloids , or cyclols . He won the Nobel Prize for this achievement in 1958. Christian Anfinsen 's studies of the oxidative folding process of ribonuclease A, for which he won

15621-805: Was born in Freyburg an der Unstrut in the Province of Saxony . He originally trained to be a physician in Halle and Leipzig , and received his medical doctorate from Berlin in 1851. Afterwards, he was an assistant to Rudolf Virchow at the Pathological Institute in Berlin. Hoppe-Seyler preferred scientific research to medicine, and later held positions in anatomy , applied chemistry , and physiological chemistry in Greifswald , Tübingen and Strasbourg . At Strasbourg, he

15748-550: Was described a few years later by Felix Hoppe-Seyler . With the development of X-ray crystallography , it became possible to sequence protein structures. In 1959, Max Perutz determined the molecular structure of hemoglobin. For this work he shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with John Kendrew , who sequenced the globular protein myoglobin . The role of hemoglobin in the blood was elucidated by French physiologist Claude Bernard . The name hemoglobin (or haemoglobin )

15875-546: Was head of the department of biochemistry, the only such institution in Germany at the time. His work also led to advances in organic chemistry by his students and by immunologist Paul Ehrlich . Among his students and collaborators were Friedrich Miescher (1844–1895) and Nobel laureate Albrecht Kossel (1853–1927). He was the son of the Freiburg superintendent (bishop) Ernst August Dankegott Hoppe. His mother died when he

16002-581: Was not fully appreciated until 1926, when James B. Sumner showed that the enzyme urease was in fact a protein. Linus Pauling is credited with the successful prediction of regular protein secondary structures based on hydrogen bonding , an idea first put forth by William Astbury in 1933. Later work by Walter Kauzmann on denaturation , based partly on previous studies by Kaj Linderstrøm-Lang , contributed an understanding of protein folding and structure mediated by hydrophobic interactions . The first protein to have its amino acid chain sequenced

16129-638: Was six years old, and his father three years later. After he became an orphan, he lived for some time in the home of his older sister Klara and her husband, the Annaburg pastor Georg Seyler , a grandson of the famous theatre director Abel Seyler . He eventually entered the orphan asylum at Halle, where he attended the gymnasium. In 1864, he was formally adopted by Georg Seyler and added the Seyler name to his birth name. In 1858, he married Agnes Franziska Maria Borstein, and they had one son, Georg Hoppe-Seyler, who became

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