Interaction Between Individual Polypeptide Chains to Form a Protein Complex

Question

Interaction between individual polypeptide chains to form a protein complex is ________ structure.
A) primary
B) secondary
C) tertiary
D) quaternary
E) pentagonal

Accepted Answer

Quaternary structure describes the interaction between multiple individual polypeptide chains to form a protein complex. Primary structure refers to the linear sequence of amino acids in a single polypeptide chain, secondary structure refers to local folding patterns such as alpha helices and beta sheets within a single polypeptide chain, and tertiary structure refers to the overall 3D shape of a single polypeptide chain due to interactions between amino acid residues (e.g. hydrogen bonds, disulfide bridges). Pentagonal structure is not a valid term used to describe protein structure.