What is a sulfhydryl group, and how does it interact biochemically with heavy metals? How does the interaction affect processes in the body? | Numerade

VISUAL SKILLS Which functional group is present in this molecule? (A) sulfhydryl (B) carboxyl (C) methyl (D) phosphate | Numerade

Sulfhydryl groups have the ability to react with the alkylating reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) in chemical modification experiments. When NEM is added to a purified solution of creatine kinase, Cys 278 is alkylated, but no other Cys residues in the protein are modified. What can you infer about the Cys 278 residue based on this observation?