Tetramer

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

A tetramer is something formed out of four sub-units. The associated propriety is called tetramery.

In chemistry, the term refers to a molecule made of four monomers (for example kobophenol A, a molecule formed from four stilbenoids monomers).

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

• Tetrameric protein
• Tetramery (botany), tetramerous, a plant with four component parts in each whorls of its structure
• Tetramerium, a genus of plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae
• Tetra, a prefix meaning 'four'
• -mer, a suffix meaning 'unit'