Answer to Question #156809 in Biochemistry for Johannah Bogar

Question

What is the protein structure (primary, secondary tertiary or quaternary) of Elastin?

Answer 1

Elastin is an important protein in the extracellular matrix. It is elastic and hence present in connective tissue hence enables tissues and the skin to stretch and regain their shape.

Elastin is composed of soluble tropoelastin proteins made up of mainly glycine, valine, and poline or alanine residues. The precursor of elastin is tropoelastin. Tropoelastin is derived from fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, chondrocytes, or endothelial cells before it is processed to elastin by cleavage of its signal peptide. Elastin monomers are crosslinked during the formation of desmosine molecules

The protein has a b-sheet domain and other secondary structures (a-helices and (b turns) along with Pro and Ala repetitions.

Reference

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/elastin