Organic Chemistry MCAT Practice Exam

What occurs during peptide bond hydrolysis?

1. It is a spontaneous process

2. It requires enzymes known as proteases

3. It leads to the formation of new peptide bonds

4. It occurs primarily at high temperatures

The correct answer is: It requires enzymes known as proteases

During peptide bond hydrolysis, the primary process involves breaking down peptide bonds that link amino acids together in a protein. This reaction typically requires the presence of enzymes known as proteases, which facilitate the hydrolysis of these bonds in a biological context. Proteases work by cleaving the peptide bond through the addition of a water molecule, resulting in the formation of free amino acids. This enzymatic action is essential as it provides the specificity and efficiency needed to break down proteins under physiological conditions, which would otherwise be sluggish without these catalysts. Therefore, the requirement of proteases to effectively carry out peptide bond hydrolysis underscores their crucial role in biological systems, such as digestion and protein turnover. The other options do not accurately reflect the nature of peptide bond hydrolysis. While spontaneous hydrolysis can occur under certain conditions, it's much slower and not characteristic of the process as it occurs in living organisms. The formation of new peptide bonds is associated with synthesis, not hydrolysis, and hydrolysis does not necessarily occur primarily at high temperatures; instead, enzymes enable this reaction to proceed effectively at moderate conditions typically found in biological systems.