What does N-terminus mean?
N-terminus: The end of a peptide or protein primary structure in which the amino acid residue is not part of a peptide bond. The terminal group is often (but not always) an amine or ammonium cation. The amino acid Gly is the N-terminus of this tripeptide.
Why is it called N-terminus and C-terminus?
The free amine end of the chain is called the “N-terminus” or “amino terminus” and the free carboxylic acid end is called the “C-terminus” or “carboxyl terminus”. The fact that these two protein termini are chemically different form one another means that they will naturally have different chemical properties.
Why is the N-terminal important?
The N-terminal region is also an important structural and functional site of proteins and peptides, and most proteins can be identified by the few amino acid residues at the N-terminal.
Is the N-terminus the 3 end?
Image credit: National Institute of General Medical Sciences. N-Terminus: nitrogen terminus. The 5-prime (5′) end of the polypeptide chain that has a nitrogen atom or a ‘free amino group. ‘ Peptide bonds connect all of the amino acids of the chain together.
What does the N in N-terminus mean?
The N-terminus (also known as the amino-terminus, NH2-terminus, N-terminal end or amine-terminus) is the start of a protein or polypeptide, referring to the free amine group (-NH2) located at the end of a polypeptide.
What are the C-terminal domains of antibodies?
– The C-terminal domains are constant from antibody to antibody (within a class). -The constant region domains are responsible for all functions of antibody other than antigen binding ( opsonization, ADCC, complement activation) Biological Function!
What is an antibody?
Antibodies are the secreted form of the B-cell receptor. An antibodyis identical to the B-cell receptor of the cell that secretes it except for a small portion of the C-terminus of the heavy-chain constant region.
What is the structure of antibodies?
Antibodies are glycoproteins, that is, they have carbohydrates (glycans) added to conserved amino acid residues. These conserved glycosylation sites occur in the Fc region and influence interactions with effector molecules. The N-terminus of each chain is situated at the tip.
What is the function of the tip of an antibody?
Each tip of the “Y” of an antibody contains a paratope (analogous to a lock) that is specific for one particular epitope (similarly analogous to a key) on an antigen, allowing these two structures to bind together with precision.