A series of hydrophobic side chains will congregate together as a protein folds in an aqueous solution and be stabilized by
A) van der Waals interaction.
B) disulfide bonds.
C) hydrogen bonds.
D) quaternary structure bonds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hydrophobic side chains are nonpolar and are therefore unable to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. Instead, they will cluster together in the interior of a protein, away from water, and interact with each other through van der Waals interactions. These interactions stabilize the hydrophobic core of the protein. Disulfide bonds and quaternary structure bonds involve covalent interactions, while hydrogen bonds involve interactions between a hydrogen atom and a partially negative atom such as oxygen or nitrogen.

A Series of Hydrophobic Side Chains Will Congregate Together as a Protein