Multiple choice

Which of the protein structure is often stabilized by S-S bonds?

  1. Primary structure

  2. Secondary structures

  3. Tertiary structure of a protein

  4. Quaternary structure of proteins

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The tertiary structure of a protein is a description of the way the whole chain (including the secondary structures) folds itself into its final 3-dimensional shape. This is often simplified into models like the following one for the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. Enzymes are, of course, based on proteins.The tertiary structure of a protein is held together by interactions between the the side chains - the R groups. There are several ways this can happen such as ionic interactions,Sulphur bridges,hydrogen bonding.A disulfide bond (SS-bond), also called a disulfide bridge, is a strong covalent bond between two sulfhydryl groups. This bond is very important to the folding, structure, and function of proteins. The presence of S-S then helps to maintain the tertiary structure of the protein. An amino acid that commonly forms S-S bonds in proteins in cysteine.