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+ Molecular biology
+ Biochemistry
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Juan-Enrique Besoain Urrutia

How do reducing agents denature proteins?

Davis Sedick  Follow

Reducing agents disrupt the disulfide bonds. Disulfide bonds are formed by oxidation of sulfhydryl groups on cysteine. Different protein chains or loops within a single chain are held together by the strong covalent disulfide bonds. If oxidizing agents cause the formation of a disulfide bond, then reducing agents, of course, act on any disulfide bonds to split it apart. Here is a pic representing protein denaturation of insulin.

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Barbara Kay  Follow

The primary target of reducing agents,such as mercaptoethanol; is to reduce -S-S (disulfide) bonds; to independent thiol groups,thereby interrupting the tertiary structure of proteins.

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