Protein Synthesis Lab Report

The protein molecules in many foods provide the amino acid building blocks required by our own cells to produce new proteins. To determine whether a sample contains protein, a reagent called Biuret solution is used. Biuret solution contains copper ions. However, the chemical state of the copper ions in Biuret solution causes them to form a chemical complex with the peptide bonds between amino acids (when present), changing the color of the solution. Biuret solution is normally blue, but changes to pink when short peptides are present and to violet when long polypeptides are present.

This Lab Report is an analysis of the results of a two-part experiment. In the first part, we used a gel filtration column to separate the components of a mixture composed of protein and non-protein molecules. By doing so we hoped to obtain fractions that contained single components of the mixture, while also gaining insight into the relative molecular weight of each component compared to each other. We would then plot these fractions onto nitrocellulose paper in order to determine which fractions had protein. In the second part, we would use the fractions which we had determined had protein to conduct an SDS-PAGE. By doing so we hoped to determine an estimate on the molecular weight of the proteins present in each fraction by comparing it to a tracker dye composed of a variety of molecules of differing molecular weight.

Protein Assay: The Pierce BCA Protein Assay (Thermo Scientific) is a detergent-compatible formulation based on bicinchoninic acid (BCA) for the colorimetric detection and quantitation of total protein concentration. A series of standard solution of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) ranging from 0-2000 µg/ml was prepared from a stock solution of 2 mg/ml BSA. 25ul of diluted crude (1:500, 1:250), desalted (1:100, 1:50), and 6 peak fractions from cibarcon blue column (1:10, 1:5) were loaded in microplate along with 175ul of BCA working reagent. Microplate was incubated for 30min at 370C and then the absorbance was measured at 562nm.

Gelatin is observed to have a lower absorbance reading than lysozyme in only the Bradford assay, while in the BCA assay gelatin was observed to have about the same absorbance as lysozyme. In Bradford assay, the color yield for proteins with higher content of tryptophan, tyrosine, or cysteine residue, will be higher. The observed protein sensitivities did not correlates with the amino acid content in the Bradford assay. As presented in Table I, the mole fractions of lysine and arginine in BSA were 10 mole percent and 4 mole percent, respectively. The sensitivity should have been higher in BSA than in the Bradford assy. However, the observed sensitivities did correlates with the amino acid contents in the BCA assay.

Colorimetric assay is a process of determining a concentration of a solution based on absorbance of light. The purpose of this lab is to determine if the Bradford assay is an accurate way to determine an unknown concentration of two samples of protein. The Bradford assay is done by measuring wavelength of light passing through a cuvette filled with Bradford dye and concentrations of PBS and proteins. After the cuvettes are mixed they are placed into a spectrophotometer to measure wavelength. The wavelength given will be used to plot a standard curve based on concentration (x-axis) and wavelength (y-axis). The standard curve is then used to measure an educated guess on the concentrations of unknown protein concentrations. We hypothesized that if we use the Bradford assay and colorimetric spectrophotometry we can determine an accurate concentration of two unknown concentrations of proteins. The results of this lab failed to reject our hypothesis based on accurate measurements of protein concentrations. The standard curves are drawn with a linear increasing slope. The Bradford assay is an accurate way to demine the concentration of an unknown concentration.

Enzymes are catalysts that function to speed up reactions; for example, the enzyme sucrose speeds up the hydrolysis of sucrose, which breaks down into glucose and fructose. They speed up reactions but are not consumed by the reaction that is taking place. The most important of the enzyme is the shape as it determines which type of reaction the enzyme speeds up. Enzymes work by passing/lowering and energy barrier and in doing so; they need to bind to substrates via the active. Once they do, the reaction speeds up so much more quickly than it would without the enzyme. Coenzymes and cofactors aid the enzyme when it comes to binding with the substrate. They change the shape of the active site so the substrate can bind properly and perform its function.

Figure 1 contains gel electrophoresis for protein samples. The lanes were labeled from 1 to 10 from the right to the left. Lane 1 contained the ladder fragment. Lane 2 contained the filtrate. Lane 3 contained the S1 sample. Lane 4 contained the P1 sample. Lane 5 contained the P1 medium salt sample. Lane 6 contained the P1 high salt sample. Lane 7 contained the S2 sample. Lane 8 contained the P2 sample. Lane 9 contained the P2 medium salt sample. Lane 10 contained the P2 high salt sample.

The homogenates provided were made by homogenizing tissues in a sucrose phosphate buffer in a 1:20 ratio. The protein concentration in bovine cells was measured by diluting the homogenate with a 1:5 ratio; 50 microliters of homogenate and 200 microliters of water. Then 5 known protein concentration samples which were 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, 2.0 mg/ml of bovine serum were used to determine absorbance with a spectrophotometer. Two additional samples were made; one was blank and the other was for the specific homogenate sample. Then 3 microliters of bradford assay reagent, which indicates the amount of protein present

ELISA works on the principle of an antigen binding to specific antibody (lock and key), which can be used as a way to identify quantities of proteins in a small sample of fluid. The specific proteins used in an ELISA are estimated quantitatively. The ELISA test is carried out by incubating the serum that contains the antigen of interest with antibody’s within a well, in order for the antibody’s to bind with the specific antigens. The plate is then washed with a mild detergent in order to remove any proteins that have not been bound. The washing of the plates is carried out between every step in order

There are two methods using which the BCA Protein Assay can be performed- Test tube method and Micro plate method.

For the second part of the experiment, one had to use the knowledge learn from viewing protein molecules in FirstGlance in Jmol to analyze the protein PDB ID: 4EEY. The analysis of this protein was done using the RSCB protein data bank (PDB) at (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/home/home.do).2

Protein purification is a process that can be employed to separate a single protein from a larger starting material which may be anything from an organ to a cell. Isolating a purified protein from a larger fraction enables further analysis such as determination of amino acid sequence, potential biological function, and even evolutionary relationship. (Cuatrecasas 1970) In this experiment, the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase will be purified, this enzyme is found extensively in human cells and catalyzes the conversion of lactate to pyruvate, an essential part in energy production. LDH is a key part of anaerobic energy production especially within glycolysis in which LDH catalyzes the conversion of the reverse reaction, pyruvate to lactate, generating NAD+ from NADH, reproducing the oxidized form of the coenzyme which can be used for oxidative respiration. (Markert 1963) Due to the fact that number of purification steps correlates with the purity of the protein multiple purification techniques will be used to isolate a pure form of LDH. LDH will be isolated from a larger “cytosol” fraction collected from a homogenized rat liver in a previous fractionation exercise. Of the procedures that will be used to isolate and purify proteins from a larger fractionate are a set of techniques collectively known as chromatography. These techniques all have the same premise, in that they consist of a stationary phase, also known as the

In vitro and in vivo studies have provided substantial evidence that the formation of new neurons in the adult brain is modulated by various extrinsic factors, including growth and neurotrophic factors, hormones, neurotransmitters, environment, stress and injury. Given that trophic factors are important regulators of the generation, differentiation and survival of adult-born neurons and that stimulation of endogenous neurogenesis or implantation of neural stem cells have been discussed as a treatment opportunity for neurobiological disorders, it is important to determine whether levels of these factors and their associated receptors change with aging and/or disease. The following

2cm of a solution was tested and added 2 cm of 10% of potassium hydroxide solution and the test tube was shaked.

B) Proteins Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. Each protein folds into a characteristic three dimensional shape that is essential to its function. They perform a variety of functions in cells and are probably the most diverse macromolecule in living systems. The Biuret test detects the presence of proteins and short peptides (short chains of amino acids). Biuret reagent contains a strong solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and a very small amount of dilute copper sulfate solution. The reagent changes color in the presence of a protein because the amino groups in the amino acids react with the copper ions producing a violet color. A negative result is blue.