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nmdcat.online June 27, 2026

The reason that the thermal denaturation curve of a globular protein is very sharp is that the

A. Covalent peptide bonds are very heat-labile
B. Disruption of the hydrophobic core is an endergonic process
C. Loss of a small number of weak interactions triggers a cooperative collapse of the entire structure
✓
D. Heat specifically targets only the R-groups of polar amino acids

📝 Explanation

Protein folding is a cooperative process. The breaking of a few weak interactions in one region of the protein during heating can destabilize neighboring interactions. This leads to a rapid, domino-like collapse of the entire tertiary structure over a very small temperature range.

📖 Additional Information

  • Covalent peptide bonds are very heat-labile
  • Disruption of the hydrophobic core is an endergonic process
  • Loss of a small number of weak interactions triggers a cooperative collapse of the entire structure
  • Heat specifically targets only the R-groups of polar amino acids

Protein folding is a cooperative process. The breaking of a few weak interactions in one region of the protein during heating can destabilize neighboring interactions. This leads to a rapid, domino-like collapse of the entire tertiary structure over a very small temperature range.

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