Information about the secondary structures of a protein most reliably and unambiguously derives from
A) complementary DNA analysis.
B) ion-exchange chromatography.
C) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
D) ultraviolet spectroscopy.
E) x-ray crystallography.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

X-ray crystallography is the most reliable and unambiguous method for determining the secondary and tertiary structure of a protein. It provides high resolution, three-dimensional structures of proteins, revealing the exact spatial arrangement of amino acid residues and their interactions. Complementary DNA analysis, ion-exchange chromatography, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and ultraviolet spectroscopy can provide useful information about the protein structure, but they cannot provide the same level of detail and accuracy as x-ray crystallography.

Information About the Secondary Structures of a Protein Most Reliably