Do alcohol and heat denature protein in a different way?

Question

So they both denature protein – but are the result or procedure any different? If so, how exactly?

In: 35

Answer 1

Yes, different environments will change how the protein changes as it denatures. The other answer is sort of right, in that the protein doesn’t work anymore in any case, but it’s sorta wrong in saying that it always becomes a floppy ribbon.

A floppy ribbon is a relatively “high energy” state compared to a protein that is folded “somehow”. Totally unfolding the entire structure of the protein is a very unlikely state. It’s more likely to be a small(er) change that “breaks” the protein.

Different environments will change what is favorable for the protein to do. Some will make it likely for the protein’s peptide chain to break at a certain point. Some will make the [chiral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chirality) amino acids turn into their “other-handed” versions. Some will make it fold itself into useless-form-#-1, some will make it turn into useless-form-#-23109XYZ.