What can happen if there is one wrong amino acid in a protein?

Answer 1

I feel like there are conflicting answers to this, probably because both play a role...tertiary structure is the actual 3-D structure, which dictates how the protein interacts on a molecular level, but primary structure ultimately determines tertiary...a recent practice question said primary structure, but I've seen tertiary as the answer before...Does anyone have a clear answer/reasoning for that answer??

interesting question. what happens if you change an important catalytic residue but maintain tertiary structure? no function. what if you denature something and it loses shape? no function. both are right. a question like this on the MCAT would definitely be more explicit, examples:

it is found that a patient has a single amino acid mutation resulting in the change in activity of phosphofructokinase. this mutation most directly affects?

-answer: primary structure, its a single amino acid mutation, the rest of the protein is probably the same.

urea, a denaturing agent and byproduct of amino acid metabolism is found abnormally in other parts of the body. enzymes in this part of the body are unable to function properly most likely due to a change in:

-tertiary structure. overall shape has changed.

Answer 2

If the change is minor, it may do nothing. If major, it can make the protein completely useless.

Answer 3

One of three things:

• death of the cell
• malfunctioning of the cell
• nothing