All GRE Subject Test: Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #21 : Protein Regulation
How do Bax and Bak promote cell death?
They bind and block Bcl2 from inhibiting Bax and Bak activators
They are a major component of the apoptosome
They cleave procaspase into caspase, which initiates the caspase cascade
They allow the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, which activates procaspase
They allow the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, which activates procaspase
Bax and Bak dimerize to form a pore in the mitochondria outer membrane, which allows cytochrome c to escape into the cytosol. When cytochrome c is found in the cytosol, procaspase becomes activated and is cleaved into caspase. Once the caspase cascade begins the cell is destined for death.
Bax and Bak have nothing to do with the apoptosome and, while Bcl2 does block Bax and Bak from dimerizing, Bax and Bak do not prevent the action of Bcl2.
Example Question #22 : Protein Regulation
What is the key functional difference between GEFs (guanine nucleotide exchange factors) and GAPs (GTPase activating proteins)?
GEFs add guanine nucleotides to small GTPases and GAPs cleave them to promote activation.
GEFs are cytosolic and act on proteins there, while GAPs are nuclear and act on proteins within the nucleus.
GEFs and GAPs have no functional difference, only slight differences in structure.
GEFs 'activate' small GTPases and GAPs 'deactivate' small GTPases.
GEFs 'deactivate' small GTPases and GAPs 'activate' small GTPases.
GEFs 'activate' small GTPases and GAPs 'deactivate' small GTPases.
A GEF activates a small GTPase by exchanging a bound GDP (which confers an inactive state) for a GTP (which is higher energy, and activates the protein). A GAP performs the opposite; GAPs enhance the intrinsic GTPase activity of the small GTPase, which causes hydrolysis of the GTP on the active protein, thus converting it back to GDP and an inactive state.
Example Question #43 : Cellular Processes
One commonly studied outcome of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation is the activation of phospholipase C (PLC). What two important second messengers are formed when PLC cleaves phosphoinositide-4,5-bisphosphate ?
Protein kinase C (PKC) and
and
and protein kinase C (PKC)
Protein kinase C (PKC) and
and
and
Interactions between , , , and PKC do indeed occur downstream of activation of PLC to contribute to numerous downstream cascades primarily initiated by protein kinase C (PKC). However, it is important to understand that the second messengers are and , which are specifically formed by the cleavage of , and each of the other molecules is considered an effector of those second messengers in this context.
Example Question #22 : Protein Regulation
What provides the necessary information to specify the three dimensional shape of proteins?
The proteins interactions with chaperone proteins
Specific hydrogen bonds
The protein's interactions with other polypeptides
The amino acid sequence
The proteins peptide bonds
The amino acid sequence
Proteins have different level of protein structure, termed primary, secondary, and tertiary (quarternary is also a type in certain proteins). The 3D shape of proteins is largely due to the tertiary structure of a protein. This level is dictated by the specific amino acid sequence of the protein.
Certified Tutor
Certified Tutor