What best describes the main determinant of the secondary structure of a protein?
A) the sequence of the various amino acids that make up a polypeptide chain
B) the total number of amino acids that make up a polypeptide chain, and its overall resulting length
C) the total number of polypeptide chains that combine to determine the overall size of the protein
D) molecular interactions between widely separated regions of a polypeptide, such as disulfide bonds, that stabilize the folded conformation
E) molecular interactions along a polypeptide chain that fold various regions into alpha helices or beta sheets

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The main determinant of the secondary structure of a protein is the sequence of amino acids and how they interact along the polypeptide chain. These interactions can result in folded regions called alpha helices or beta sheets. The overall length of the polypeptide chain and the number of chains contributing to the protein do not play a significant role in determining the secondary structure. Disulfide bonds, while important for stabilizing the tertiary structure, do not primarily determine the secondary structure.

What Best Describes the Main Determinant of the Secondary Structure