A protein molecule may be assigned to you by your teacher, or a list of molecules may be provided from which you can pick one.

Record your observations and interpretations regarding the questions below on separate sheets of paper. Hints are available to help you!

1. How many protein chains are in your molecule? Are there any nucleic acid chains?

2. Does your protein have any disulfide bonds? Are there any disulfide bonds between chains?

3. Briefly summarize the secondary structure of your protein. Is is all alpha helix, all beta strands, or a mixture of both?

4. Are there any ligands in your protein? If so, what are they?

5. Does your protein exhibit a hydrophobic core?

6. Do you think your protein is neutral, or has negative or positive net charge at pH 7? If it has a net charge, how does this support its function?

7. Is there anything especially interesting, unusual or unexpected about your protein?

8. What are the important biological functions of your protein? How does its structure support its functions?

9. Does your molecule form specific oligomers necessary for function?