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"To make a disulfide bridge, it's necessary to ...

A. perform a hydrolysis reaction.
B. remove two H atoms.
C. remove an H and an OH.
D. remove two OH groups.
E. None of the above."

User Sfault
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

To create a disulfide bridge, it is necessary to remove two hydrogen atoms from the thiol groups of cysteine residues, allowing the formation of an S-S bond through an oxidation reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

To make a disulfide bridge, it's necessary to remove two hydrogen atoms from two cysteine molecules. When this occurs, the sulfur atom in each cysteine's sulfhydryl (-SH) group loses its bond to a hydrogen and forms a new bond with a sulfur from another cysteine, creating an S-S bond. This process is an oxidation reaction that involves the oxidation of thiol groups into a disulfide linkage, which is vital for the establishment of a protein's tertiary structure.

Specifically, this oxidation of the thiol groups can be achieved by using oxidizing agents, such as iodine, bromine, or oxygen. The oxidized thiol groups transform into a disulfide bond, which can substantially affect protein folding and stability.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question is B. remove two H atoms, because in the process of forming a disulfide bridge, each thiol group of the cysteine residues loses a hydrogen atom.

User Martin Nordholts
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