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Subject:
Crystalline structure of enzymes
Category: Science Asked by: jat-ga List Price: $10.00 |
Posted:
29 Aug 2002 10:08 PDT
Expires: 28 Sep 2002 10:08 PDT Question ID: 59920 |
I once saw a catalog of pictures of enzymes which showed them to have a striking, crystalline structure. Can you find me some of these pictures--especially for those enzymes which have to do with biological function--plus explanations for why this is the case (i.e., the reason for the structure)? |
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There is no answer at this time. |
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Subject:
Re: Crystalline structure of enzymes
From: cogpsych-ga on 29 Aug 2002 22:30 PDT |
The following page has some small pictures of enzymes in a crystalline state: http://www.hamptonresearch.com/stuff/gallery.html I could try to explain part of the reason why these crystals form, but it has been a few years since my last chemistry course and I don't want to give you any wrong information. In short, the enzymes form crystals because of the nature of their chemical bonding to one another to form what are known as lattice structures. The amazing regularity of the pyramidal, cubic, and other shapes of the crystals is due to the way these lattices form for different enzymes (which are proteins, by the way). The actual reasoning behind lattice formation is quite complex (at least for me) since I barely learned about it in first-year university chemistry. Perhaps a researcher who is a chemistry guru can provide a simplistic explanation. |
Subject:
Re: Crystalline structure of enzymes
From: sharibari-ga on 16 Sep 2002 00:32 PDT |
There are plenty of pictures of enzyme crystals on the web; try writing "enzyme crystal structure" in the google Image searching page. But the crystal structure usually has no connection to its biological function. The crystals are grown in the laboratory so that the scientists can solve the molecular structure of the enzymes using X-ray crystallography techniques. In other words, the crystals are only a device used in order to get the structure of the enzyme molecule. The knowledge of the structure is used to understand the function of the enzyme, in order to design drugs to act with or against the enzyme, etc etc, In the living cell, the enzymes exist as individual molecules, not in in the crystalline form. P.S. I'm a research scientist who studies protein structures |
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