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

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

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The main determinant of the secondary structure of a protein is the molecular interactions along a polypeptide chain that fold various regions into alpha helices or beta sheets. These regions are stabilized by hydrogen bonds between carbonyl and amine groups along the polypeptide backbone, leading to the characteristic alpha helix or beta sheet structures. The specific sequence of amino acids can influence the likelihood of these interactions and the resulting secondary structure, but it is not the main determinant.

What Best Describes the Main Determinant of the Secondary Structure of a Protein