Chymotrypsin Mechanism on TBR

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DPTinthemaking15

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There is an old post from 2014 that talks about Chymotrypsin not being covered in depth on the MCAT, but that was before they issued the new MCAT. Is this topic important to know? For instance, TBR states "The details of this mechanism have appeared on the MCAT before. Those who took the exam then needed only a basic understanding of enzymatic mechanisms to do well. Keep track of your electrons!" Is this true? Do I just need to understand that this mechanism cleaves peptide bonds and is considered a serine protease? TBR designates 4 pages to this mechanism and I don't want to rush through it, but I also don't want to spend considerable time committing it to memory. Thanks

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You should understand what's going on but you don't have to memorize it. Memorization isn't really emphasized on the new MCAT - especially not memorization of a specific enzyme or class of enzyme mechanisms. But if you're given the intermediates, you should be able to figure out where the electrons come from and go.
 
You should understand what's going on but you don't have to memorize it. Memorization isn't really emphasized on the new MCAT - especially not memorization of a specific enzyme or class of enzyme mechanisms. But if you're given the intermediates, you should be able to figure out where the electrons come from and go.
Awesome! I sat there for a few minutes and realized memorizing it would be insane. When I first started studying for the MCAT I was attempting to memorize EVERYTHING. I'm slowly learning it just isn't possible. So I am taking a few notes and just hoping practice passages will make the info stick. If not, maybe one of the research labs will accept me as a guinea pig lol.
 
Awesome! I sat there for a few minutes and realized memorizing it would be insane. When I first started studying for the MCAT I was attempting to memorize EVERYTHING. I'm slowly learning it just isn't possible. So I am taking a few notes and just hoping practice passages will make the info stick. If not, maybe one of the research labs will accept me as a guinea pig lol.

Think of chemistry as separable into classes of reactions. Enzymatic peptide hydrolysis usually follows several established steps, involving nucleophilic attack by a residue with a OH or SH group (serine and cysteine proteases, respectively) to liberate one part and subsequent attack by water to liberate the rest of it and regenerate the enzyme. Metalloproteases work slightly differently but still involve nucleophilic attack and hydrolysis.
 
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