An example of a subunit, human hemoglobin. The protein's α and β subunits are coloured red and blue.

A tetramer (/ˈtɛtrəmər/) (tetra-, "four" + -mer, "parts") is an oligomer formed from four monomers or subunits. The associated property is called tetramery. An example from inorganic chemistry is titanium methoxide with the empirical formula Ti(OCH3)4, which is tetrameric in solid state and has the molecular formula Ti4(OCH3)16.[1] An example from organic chemistry is kobophenol A, a substance that is formed by combining four molecules of resveratrol.[2][3]

In biochemistry, it similarly refers to a biomolecule formed of four units, that are the same (homotetramer), i.e. as in Concanavalin A or different (heterotetramer), i.e. as in hemoglobin. Hemoglobin has 4 similar sub-units while immunoglobulins have 2 very different sub-units. The different sub-units may have each their own activity, such as binding biotin in avidin tetramers, or have a common biological property, such as the allosteric binding of oxygen in hemoglobin.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wright, D. A.; Williams, D. A. (1968). "The crystal and molecular structure of titanium tetramethoxide". Acta Crystallogr. B. 24 (8): 1107–1114. doi:10.1107/S0567740868003766.
  2. ↑ Shu, Na; Zhou, Hong; Hu, Changqi (2006). "Simultaneous determination of the contents of three stilbene oligomers in Caragana sinica collected in different seasons using an improved HPLC method". Biol. Pharm. Bull. 29 (4): 608–612. doi:10.1248/bpb.29.608. PMID 16595888.
  3. ↑ Li, Liya; Henry, Geneive E.; Seeram, Navindra P. (2009). "Identification and bioactivities of resveratrol oligomers and flavonoids from Carex folliculata seeds". J. Agric. Food Chem. 57 (16): 7282–7287. doi:10.1021/jf901716j. PMID 19627089.
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