Tetramer

An example of a tetramer protein is human hemoglobin . The α and β subunits are colored red and blue.

A tetramer (from Greek τετρα tetra 'four' and Greek µέρος meros 'part') is a unit in chemistry and biochemistry that is formed from four subunits.

In chemistry, the term describes a molecule that is made from four identical monomers - for example tetrapropylene , which can be produced from four “propylene” monomers, or Kobophenol A , a molecule made from four stilbenoid monomers.

In biochemistry, a tetramer denotes a molecular complex that is formed from four subunits (usually a tetrameric protein ), which are either all identical ( homotetramer ), as in Concanavalin A , or which are different and distinguishable ( heterotetramer ), such as in hemoglobin . Hemoglobin has four similar subunits, while immunoglobulins have two very different subunits. The different subunits can each have their own activity, such as binding biotin by avidin tetramers, or they have a common biological property, such as the allosteric binding of oxygen in hemoglobin.

See also

• -mer (suffix)
• Tetra

Web links

Commons : Tetramer  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Entry on tetramers. In: Römpp Online . Georg Thieme Verlag, accessed on February 22, 2012.
2. ^ GO term: protein homotetramerization . YeastGenome. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 22, 2012. 
3. ^ GO term: protein heterotetramerization . YeastGenome. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 22, 2012.