Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms - BCH 455/555
Instructor: Carla Mattos
Office: 38A Polk Hall
Email: carla_mattos@ncsu.edu
Spring 2006
Phone: 513-2556
Text book
Proteins: Structures and Molecular Properties
Thomas E. Creighton, second edition
Syllabus
“Quiz” refers to testing on the structure and properties of the amino acid residues. These
will be 5 minutes at the beginning of each class (as indicated). You will be asked to draw
the structures of 2 amino acids and summarize their chemical characteristics.
1) Amino acids (1/10)
2) Protein analysis (1/12) – Quiz : G, M
3) Molecular weight and protein sequencing by Mass spectrometry (1/17) – Quiz : A, C
4) Protein biosynthesis (1/19) – Quiz : V, Q
5) Physical interactions I (1/24) – Quiz : L, N
6) Physical interactions II (1/26) – Quiz : I, E
7) Review (1/31) – Quiz F, D
8) Test 1 (2/2)
9) Conformational properties of polypeptide chains I (2/7) – Quiz : H, Y
10) Conformational properties of polypeptide chains II (2/9) – Quiz : R, W
11) Protein structure determination by x-ray crystallography (2/14) – Quiz: K, P
12) Folded conformations - protein structural motifs (2/16) – Quiz : S, T
13) Folded conformations - structural classification of proteins (2/21) – Quiz
14) Evolutionary relationships between proteins (2/23) – Quiz
15) Review (2/28) – Quiz
16) Test 2 (3/2)
SPRING BREAK (3/7, 3/9)
17) Protein structure determination by NMR spectroscopy - dynamics (3/14) – Quiz
18) Protein-water interactions (3/16) – Quiz
19) Protein folding (3/21) – Quiz
20) Protein-ligand interactions (3/23) – Quiz
21) Allosteric proteins (3/28) – Quiz
22) Enzyme Kinetics (3/30) – Quiz
23) Enzyme Kinetics (4/4) - Quiz
24) Review (4/6) – Quiz
25) Test 3 (4/11)
APRIL VACATION (4/13)
26) Protein degradation (4/18) – Quiz
27) The proteasome (4/20) – Quiz
28) BCH555 project presentation - Quiz
29) Review (4/27) – Quiz
30) Final Exam (5/2)
Web site for course materials:
http://biochem.ncsu.edu/faculty/mattos/lab
Office Hours: by appointment – email me or talk to me after class to arrange time.
Students should not expect a review of missed classes during office hours. Come
prepared with specific questions.
Final Grade
Test 1 – 20%
Test 2 – 20%
Test 3 – 20%
Quizzes on amino acid structure and properties – 10%
Comprehensive final exam – 30%
Grading Scale
BCH 455
91-100%
81-90%
80%
78-79%
68-77%
67%
65-66%
58-64%
57%
56%
51-55%
50%
<50%
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
BCH 555
95-100%
84-94%
83%
81-82%
71-80%
70%
68-69%
61-67%
60%
59%
56-58%
55%
<55%
Students taking BCH555 must participate in a protein X-ray crystallography structure
refinement project. This group of students will meet in my laboratory (38 Polk Hall) on
Fridays 2-5pm in addition to coming to class.
There will be no make-up exams. Students who miss an exam due to illness (with
doctor’s note) or immediate family death/emergency must talk to me on a case by case
basis. A missed exam without an acceptable excuse will result in a zero for that exam.
Reading
Students are expected to read the appropriate sections of the text corresponding to the
material given in the lectures. Assigned reading material may be tested in the exams even
if not specifically mentioned in class. Some material not covered in the text will be
presented in class. Therefore, class attendance is critical in obtaining the material to be
covered in the tests.