Question

Which of the following is not true about secondary protein structure?

(a) The hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of amino acid residues is important to secondary structure

(b) The ability of peptide bonds to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds is important to secondary structure

(c) The alpha helix, beta pleated sheet and beta turns are examples of protein secondary structure

(d) The steric influence of amino acid residues is important to secondary structure

I got this question during an interview.

My question is from Tough Questions and Answers in chapter Regulation of Gene Expression and Miscellaneous of Biochemistry

Answer 1

The correct answer is (a) The hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of amino acid residues is important to secondary structure

Easy explanation: The hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of amino acid residues is important to protein tertiary structure rather than to secondary structure. In secondary structure, it is the steric size of the residues that are important and residues are positioned to minimize interactions between each other and the peptide chain.