Chapter 14: Problem 20
Two homologs of a protein are isolated. Homolog A is a monomer that binds glucose with a \(K_{\mathrm{D}}\) of \(4 \mathrm{mM}\). Homolog B is a positively cooperative dimer. The \(K_{\mathrm{D}}\) of the first binding site of homolog B is measured at \(4 \mathrm{mM}\). At \(1 \mathrm{mM}\) concentration of glucose, it is found that homolog B binds twice as much glucose as homolog A. What is the Hill coefficient of homolog B?
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Define the Problem
Understand Homolog A
Calculate Fractional Saturation for Homolog A
Express Binding of Homolog B
Solve for Hill Coefficient (n)
Calculate the Hill Coefficient
Verify
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Protein Binding
- a lower dissociation constant indicates a stronger affinity between the protein and the ligand,
- a higher dissociation constant reflects a weaker interaction.
Positive Cooperativity
Characteristics of positive cooperativity:
- If a protein bind exhibits positive cooperativity, the Hill coefficient is greater than 1.
- In our example, Homolog B is a dimer showing positive cooperativity, suggesting that once one glucose molecule is bound, it's easier for the second glucose molecule to bind.
Dissociation Constant
\[ \theta = \frac{[S]}{K_D + [S]} \]where \( [S] \) is the concentration of the ligand.
Applications of the dissociation constant include:
- Predicting how easily a protein binds a ligand.
- Comparing affinities of different protein-ligand complexes.