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Functions Of Protein Gamma Secretase Essay

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Introduction
Proteins are linear polymers that consist of monomer units called amino acids. These amino acids are linked end to end by peptide bonds (M. Berg, 2015). The linear, unbranched chain of amino acids will fold into one or a few closely similar three-dimensional structures known as conformations. Conformations of the proteins and the chemical properties of side chain amino acids, determine the function of the protein. Proteins can have functions that are essential for life within the cell. Without these functions, the cells wouldn’t be able to function properly (Lodish, 2016). Sometimes proteins can have mutations (change within the base sequence) within them causing their three-dimensional shape to change. The protein gamma-secretase is an example of this. This protein can have a mutation within one of its main components which can have an important role in Alzheimer’s disease (Lodish, 2016). Proteins have four different structures: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. These different structures will have different roles in the protein folding into its specific three-dimensional shape.

Primary Structure:
The primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids (Lodish, 2016). These amino acids can be arranged in different orders to form different proteins. The 3D structure of a protein is determined by the primary structure as this influences the intramolecular forces that form between the amino acids. Also, depending on the properties of the amino

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