Question

Consider the charge on a phosphate which is negative. Think about the charge on the three amino acids that can be phosphorylated. Explain why the shape of a protein could change if it was phosphorylated

Answer 1

Only three amino acids could be phosphorylated. Those include serine, threonine, and tyrosine since they contain side chains with a hydroxyl group and all the three are neutral amino acids i,e no charge on them.

Because phosphate groups are highly negatively charged, phosphorylation of a protein alters its charge, which can then alter the conformation of the protein and ultimately its functional activity.

Phosphorylation alters the structural conformation of a protein, causing it to become activated, deactivated, or modifying its function. Approximately 13000 human proteins have sites that are phosphorylated