a change in pH can change the shape of a protein. How will a change in pH affect the function of an enzime?

Question

such as hexokinase?

Answer 1

Most enzymes have an optimal pH at which they operate most efficitently. As the pH changes significantly from that optimal range, more and more amino acid side chains of the protein become protonated or unprontonated (depending on wether you are getting more basic or acidic); the new charge structure of the protein will cause it to arrange differently, causing it to be less efficient and eventually completely non-functional. I can't recall what the optimal pH is for hexokinase, but most enzymes of the body work best at around 7.2 (which is the pH of most areas of your body). Some notable exceptions to that are enzymes of the digestive tract which operate under highly acidic (stomach) or fairly alkaline (duodenum of small intestine) conditions.

Answer 2

The effect depends on the magnitude of the change in pH. Most enzymes would tolerate a change of say 1 pH unit either side of their optimum. Their activity would decline but may still work to some degree. The pH change may not affect the protein structure substantially but can alter the chemistry involved in the specific reaction catalysed and may have an effect on the substrate as well.

I don't know the specifics about hexokinase except it is the first enzyme in glycolysis. However proteins and enzymic reactions are complicated things and altering the pH of a system is likely to have some effect.

Answer 3

A change in the pH can lead to disruption of the H bonds(due to the change in concentration of H+ ions) within the enzymes tertiary structure, this would change the 3D shape of the molecule therefore changing the shape of the active site. You will know that enzymes are specific, they have an active site with a certain shape which binds to the substrate which is a complimentary shape. If the 3D shape changes then the substrate can no longer bind to the enzymes active site and no more enzyme-substrate complexes can be formed, which means no more products can be made. As has already been said the enzymes have optimum pHs at which they work best.

Answer 4

The basic thing that you should know is that an enzyme is a protein..

By changing the ph you are changing the charges on the protein, which will reshape your protein (change its shape). Since a protein is an enzyme, changing its shape will change the reaction that it normally catalyzes.
Therefore, changing the pH will affect the enzyme by making it non-functional because the binding site will be different. The enzyme will not bind its appropriate substrate, hence no reaction!

Answer 5

Proteins contain N-H bonds. Due to high electronegativity of Nitrogen there is a lot of polarity in the bond. This results in greater attractive force between H of one part of the protien and N of another. This is called Hydrogen Bonding.

The shape of the protien is determined by the resulting attractive force between different parts of the protien with themselves and with the surrounding atoms - especially with the H ions that are there in abundance in the medium, and hydrogen bonding with the water molecules (oxygen is also highly electronegative. Even the H-O bond is highly polar).

When the pH changes, the concentration of H+ ions in the medium changes, and therefore the number of charged bodies around the protien molecule. This affects the net attractive forces around the molecule and distorts the shape of the protein/enzyme...

Answer 6

enzymes are proteins and that they are specific in action meaning that one enzyme is able to accomplish purely one reaction. Enzymes are denatured (do no longer artwork) by intense temperatures (above 40 tiers celsius), and as quickly as an enzyme has been denatured you are able to not lead them to artwork back. The optimal (superb) temperature for enzymes to artwork is 38 tiers celcius. diverse enzymes artwork superb in diverse pH, eg. Pepsin, it extremely is a sort of protease (breaks proteins) works at acidic pH of a million-2. Amylase which digests startch works interior the mouth the place pH is approximately impartial. different properties of enzymes incorporate: they are inactivated by poisons, and each enzyme has a various shape, made precisely to in effective condition one substrate ( the substance which the enzyme is going to artwork on).

Answer 7

yeah, enzyme is a protein that acts as a catalyst speeding natural chemical reactions that would occur in your body anyway. it holds substrates in place so it takes less energy to make the chemical reaction to happen. when the ph is low, the acidic solution denatures the enzyme because most enzymes work best between 6-8.

Answer 8

In short, a change in pH can DENATURE an enzyme. Make sure you know the meaning to that word, which means it disfunctions enzyme activity.

Answer 9

The enzyme will not work if it is not in its pH range.

Answer 10

X_X its wont... unless the two will have chemical reaction when exposed to air...