Abstract
Proteins are the most abundant molecules in cells, making up 50 % or more of their dry weight. Every protein has a unique structure and conformation or shape, which enables it to carry out a specific function in a living cell. Proteins comprise the complex muscle system and the connective tissue network, and they are important as carriers in the blood system. All enzymes are proteins; enzymes are important as catalysts for many reactions (both desirable and undesirable) in foods.
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Glossary
- Amino acid
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Building block of proteins; contains an amino group, a carboxyl group, a hydrogen, and a side chain, all attached to a central carbon atom.
- Amphiphilic
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A molecule that contains both hydrophobic and hydrophilic sections.
- Amphoteric
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Capable of functioning as either an acid or as a base depending on the pH of the medium.
- Alpha helix
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Ordered protein secondary structure: corkscrew shape, stabilized by intrachain hydrogen bonds.
- Beta-pleated sheet
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Ordered protein secondary structure; zigzag shape, stabilized by interchain hydrogen bonds.
- Conformation
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The specific folding and shape that a protein assumes in space.
- Denaturation
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Changes in the conformation (secondary, tertiary, or quaternary structure) of a protein caused by changes in temperature, pH, or ionic strength, or by surface changes.
- Dipeptide
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Two amino acids joined by a peptide bond.
- Disulfide bond
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Strong covalent bond formed by the reaction of two thiol (SH) groups.
- Functional property
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Characteristic of the molecule that enables it to perform a specific role in a food. Examples of functional properties of proteins include solubility, thickening, binding, gelation, foaming, and emulsifying capacity.
- Hydrolysis
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Breaking of one or more peptide bonds in a protein to form smaller polypeptide chains.
- Hydrophilic
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Water-loving; characteristic of polar and charged groups.
- Hydrophobic
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Water-hating; characteristic of nonpolar groups.
- Isoelectric point
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pI; the pH at which the overall charge on a protein is zero; the number of positive charges is equal to the number of negative charges; the protein is most susceptible to denaturation and precipitation at this pH.
- Maillard browning
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The free carbonyl group of a reducing sugar and the free amino group of a protein react to form a brown color; complex nonenzymatic reaction that is favored by high temperatures.
- Peptide bond
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Bond formed by the reaction of the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another.
- Polypeptide
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Several amino acids joined together by peptide bonds.
- Protein primary structure
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Specific sequence of amino acids along the protein chain, joined by peptide bonds; the covalently bonded protein backbone.
- Protein quaternary structure
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The noncovalent association of protein chains to form a discrete unit.
- Protein secondary structure
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Three-dimensional arrangement of sections of the protein chain; secondary structures include the α-helix, β-pleated sheet, and random coil.
- Protein tertiary structure
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Three-dimensional arrangement of the whole protein chain; the shape that a protein chain assumes in space; includes fibrous and globular structures.
- Proteolytic
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Breaks down or hydrolyzes proteins.
- Random coil
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A protein secondary structure that exhibits no regular, ordered pattern.
- Salting-in
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Addition of a dilute salt solution to improve the dispersibility of a protein.
- Salting-out
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Addition of a concentrated salt solution to precipitate a protein.
- Steric effects
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Effects caused by the size and shape of the amino acids comprising the protein chain; spatial effects; for example, bulky amino acids can prevent a protein from folding upon itself in certain ways.
- Water-binding capacity
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The ability of a protein to bind water; this ability depends on the number of charged and polar groups along the protein chain.
- Zwitterion
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Contains a positively charged group and a negatively charged group within the molecule.
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Vaclavik, V.A., Christian, E.W. (2014). Proteins in Food: An Introduction . In: Essentials of Food Science. Food Science Text Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9138-5_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9138-5_8
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