- Written By: Daniel Liden
- Edited By: Jenn Walker
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Copyright Protected:
2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
Denaturation is a process by which nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, and proteins, such as actin and collagen, lose their three-dimensional structures and consequently their primary functions. Many different substances or environmental conditions, such as strong acids, heat, or a variety of organic solvents, can denature proteins or nucleic acids. Based on their structures and amino acid or nucleotide configurations, different proteins and nucleic acids can be denatured by a different variety of substances or environmental factors. Denaturation of proteins and nucleic acids can have many different effects. Sometimes the effects may be minimal, but in other cases they can include a decrease in cellular function and may even lead to cellular death.
Proteins are organized into several different structural levels. Primary structure describes the configuration or amino acids without regard for the complex three-dimensional structure. Secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structures describe the three-dimensional arrangements of protein subunits, whole proteins, and protein complexes. Denaturation generally does not affect primary structure, but it does cause degradation of the complex three-dimensional arrangements of the proteins. Most protein functions result from chemical traits arising from the three-dimensional arrangements of the proteins, so degradation of such structures generally results in a loss of protein function.
Denaturation can be caused by a variety of different substances or environmental factors that can break or alter the bonds that maintain a protein's three-dimensional structure. Heat, for instance, increases the energy in the bonds that maintain protein structures, thereby disrupting them and leading to denaturation. Many different medical and scientific tools are sterilized with heat because it can denature proteins in bacteria and other unwanted agents, thereby rendering them harmless.
Strong acids, bases, salts, and solvents are also capable of causing denaturation by breaking or altering the bonds responsible for maintaining structure. In some cases, denaturation is reversible and the protein is able to regain its structure after the environmental or chemical strain is removed; some denatured proteins, however, are unable to return to their original structures.
The term "denaturation" is sometimes used to refer to the process of rendering food or drink inedible but still useful for some function aside from consumption. The most common example of this is denatured alcohol, also referred to as methylated spirits. The product is often used as a solvent or fuel, but it is poisonous if consumed. The actual alcohol itself is not chemically altered, but additives, usually methanol, render it toxic.
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Nepal2016
Post 7 |
@bigjim - You're right, that is kind of messed up. The same thing happens with ethanol. Farmers and other commercial users can get a permit to make ethanol on their premises for fuel, but they immediately have to denature it to keep it legal. Ethanol, you see, is essentially the same as moonshine. It is 100% alcohol if made correctly.
Used as a fuel, it is completely legal. However, if the production facility is inspected and they find any amount that it not denatured, it can be a serious civil or criminal matter. And the agency that deals with that is the ATF. Not exactly people whose bad side you want to be on. |
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bigjim
Post 6 |
I find substances like denatured alcohol interesting. The denaturant is pretty much just a poison that they add to the alcohol to keep people from drinking it, but it does not reduce its effectiveness as a cleaning product.
Which means that before they started doing this, people were going to the store and buying cleaning fluids and then drinking them. That's really sad. I hope nobody is trying to drink it now and poisoning themselves.
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Veruca10
Post 5 |
@cardsfan27 - I would agree that the temperature needed to denature something depends on the type of protein, if you are talking about heat. As far as cold, I don't think that any normally-occurring temperature would damage proteins or DNA. Think of the prehistoric animals or humans they find frozen in ice sometimes. I have never heard of one of them having a damaged cellular or protein structure.
Now, if you are talking about deliberately creating extreme cold temperatures in a lab, that may be a different story. I would be interested to see how that worked out for different substances. |
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Emilski
Post 4 |
@stl156 - Very interesting. I had never really thought of that either. I guess that answers the question of whether proteins denature at different temperatures. You would have a pretty hard time cooking a steak at that temperature.
I am curious about the effect denaturation of DNA would have. Of course, it would be very bad if the DNA in our cells we destroyed. Are there any diseases that attack our DNA and cause it to change shape. Along the same lines, are there any situations where denaturation causes proteins to change shape to a form where they are actually harmful to us? |
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stl156
Post 3 |
@titans62 - I don't know if it would exactly fall into the category of industrial processes, but you probably use denaturation every day.
Whenever we cook foods, especially meat, we are breaking apart the proteins into a new form. Obviously, most of the purpose of cooking is to get rid of bacteria and other pathogens, but I have to say I would much prefer eating meat that has been cooked just from the texture standpoint.
I was just reading an article the other day about fevers in animals. I never really thought about it, but the reason it is so dangerous to have a fever above 104 degrees or so is because at that point, the proteins in our body, especially our brain, literally start to cook. |
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titans62
Post 2 |
@cardsfan27 - Technically, enzymes are still proteins, they are just special in that they react with other proteins or molecules in our bodies to achieve a certain function. That being said, you could have a denatured enzyme that forms from extreme heat.
I'm not sure about the temperature when different molecules start to denature. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has any insight into this.
I was wondering if there were any particular industrial processes that use heat or chemicals or some other method to denature proteins to form a certain product. |
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cardsfan27
Post 1 |
How hot does a protein or DNA have to get before it starts to denature? I am guessing maybe it all depends on the type of molecule. Is it ever possible for extreme cold to damage a protein?
I know a lot of times proteins have to act with enzymes to accomplish their job. Are chemicals or heat able to cause the denaturation of enzymes, as well? |
