College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2023-05-04 20:08:25
Major
Biology
Honors Course
3100 499-002
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2021
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Metal sulfides and other minerals were present on early Earth and most likely contributed to the origins of life as we know it. At some stage in prebiotic chemical evolution, random coil polypeptides obtained alpha helices and beta sheet structures to create enzymes. Many early proteins contain transition metal sulfide clusters at their core active sites. Here, I examined the effects of Zns, FeS and CdS, three metal sulfides that existed in early Earth environmental settings, on structure of random coil polyglutamic acid under neutral pH conditions. These minerals did not induce a conformational change in a polyglutamic acid because the negative surface charge on both the minerals and peptide inhibited their interaction. Goethite also does not induce a conformational change of the polypeptide.
Research Sponsor
Dr. Nita Sahai
First Reader
Dr. Henry Astley
Second Reader
Dr. Richard Londraville
Honors Faculty Advisor
Dr. Brian Bagatto
Recommended Citation
Greggila, Lucas, "Effect of Metal Ions on Peptide Folding" (2021). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 1366.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/1366
Comments
The title has since been changed to Effect of Nanoparticles on Peptide Folding due to the procedures and results of the experiments.