Question

1. What kind of noncovalent interaction occurs between the following amino acids?
a.)Tyrosine and threonine
b.)Alanine and Alanine

Answer 1

(a) A hydrogen bonding hydrogen is shared between two electronegative atoms, like nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen, which have a nonbonding pair of electrons. Tyrosine contains a phenol functional group, whereas threonine has an alcohol functional group.

Tyrosine acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor, whereas threonine acts as a hydrogen bond donor.

(b) Alanine has a nonpolar hydrophobic chain present in its structure. The van der Waal interactions acting between the hydrophobic nonpolar groups of the alanine residues keep them closer to each other.