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blueTB molecules | ||
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| © 2005 blueTB, Dr. PI Bioconsulting | |||
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blueTB molecules | ||
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| © 2005 blueTB, Dr. PI Bioconsulting | |||
To view the structure* of a blueTB molecule as a Jmol 3D-structural model, click on the image of a protein
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Chemical structure is the arrangement of atoms within a molecule. For simple molecules the chemical structure can be represented using a structural formula. Structure can range from relatively simple molecules, such as biochemicals, to very complex structures, such as protein, carbohydrate or nucleic acid molecules. The structure of a molecules is the basis for its specific functions. In proteins the primary protein structure is the sequence of a chain of amino acids. Stretches of this chain can form secondary structures like α-helices of pleated sheets that are stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the participating amino acids. The spatial relationship of the secondary structures make up the overall shape of a singe protein molecule, the tertiary structure. If a protein complex is made up of more than one protein subunit, ists structure is named quaternary structure. The threedimensional structure of molecules (small or large) can be visualized on the web with Jmol, a free, open source molecule viewer for students, educators, and researchers in chemistry and biochemistry. It is cross-platform, running on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux/Unix systems. To determine the macromolecular structure of a protein is a difficult task because a protein contains hundreds or thousands of atoms. Protein structures can be experimentelly derived by X-ray diffraction of a protein crystal, where the diffraction pattern depends on the position of individual atoms. From this pattern a list of coordinates for individual atoms is calculated and deposited as a file in a structure database. Alternatively it is sometimes possible to determine the structure of a protein in aequous solution by biomolecular NMR(nuclear magnetic resoncance) structure analysis. The TB structural genomics consortium is solving the structures of many M.tb molecules and make them available to the public. Dr. PI's gallery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis molecules refers to the structural data of M. tuberculosis enzymes and other proteins that have been submitted to Protein Data Bank with the purpose to explain the functional properties of the protein based on its structural features.
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