Protein Symmetry - Good Links on the Topic

In summary, The online Principles of Protein Structure course at Birkbeck College (Univ. of London) has a specific page on symmetry and there is also a review paper on protein symmetry by D.S. Goodsell & A.J. Olson. There are also resources available for crystallography and bioinorganic chemistry related to protein symmetry.
  • #1
Entropia
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Does anybody have any good links on protein symmetry?
 
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  • #2
http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS2/

This is the online Principles of Protein Structure course at Birkbeck College (Univ. of London) which covers protein structure and geometry at all levels at an introductory level. There is a specific page on symmetry

http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS2/course/section11/symmetry.html

and

http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS95/course/9_quaternary/symmetry.html

(The affiliated Birkbeck link to the previously mentioned page is here.)

If you could be more specific I could probably assist a bit more and with more focus. I would be remiss in not asking if you've taken a look at Introduction to Protein Structure by Branden & Tooze which is a nice intro to protein structure and function at an upper level undergrad/intro grad level.

There is a review paper which I have laying somewhere around on protein symmetry. The citation is (looked it up on PubMed)

D.S. Goodsell & A.J. Olson. (2000) "Structural Symmetry and Protein Function." Annual Reviews of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure. 29:105-153.

If you're looking for something more crystallographic in nature, well, plenty of good crystallography links out there, not to mention books with an emphasis on protein crystallography (Rhodes, MacRee, MacPherson).

If you're looking for something more in the veins of good old fashioned inorganic chemistry/group theory related, probably will want to check out the Chemical Reviews issue dedicated to bioinorganic chemistry and dig about for mentions of symmetry in the articles (including the Holm/Solomon review on metals in biology in general).
 
  • #3


Yes, here are some good resources on protein symmetry:

1. "Protein Symmetry" by RCSB Protein Data Bank: This article provides a comprehensive overview of protein symmetry, including its types, functions, and examples.

2. "Symmetry in Proteins" by the European Bioinformatics Institute: This webpage explains the importance of symmetry in protein structure and function, with interactive 3D models to illustrate the concept.

3. "Symmetry and Protein Structure" by the University of Arizona: This lecture notes cover the basics of symmetry in proteins, including its role in protein folding, stability, and evolution.

4. "Symmetry in Biology" by the National Center for Biotechnology Information: This review article discusses the different types of symmetry found in biological systems, including proteins, and their implications in understanding structure and function.

5. "Protein Symmetry Analysis Tools" by the Scripps Research Institute: This webpage provides a list of software tools for analyzing protein symmetry, along with tutorials and examples.

I hope these resources will be helpful in your research on protein symmetry.
 

1) What is protein symmetry?

Protein symmetry refers to the arrangement of subunits within a protein structure. It describes how the identical or similar subunits are arranged in a repeating pattern to form a functional protein.

2) Why is protein symmetry important?

Protein symmetry plays a crucial role in the structure and function of proteins. It allows for efficient assembly of complex protein structures and can enhance stability and function of proteins.

3) How is protein symmetry determined?

Protein symmetry can be determined through various methods such as X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These techniques allow scientists to visualize the arrangement of subunits within a protein structure.

4) What are some examples of proteins with symmetry?

Some well-known examples of proteins with symmetry include viruses, which often have icosahedral symmetry, and hemoglobin, which has a tetrameric structure with two-fold rotational symmetry.

5) How does protein symmetry relate to protein function?

The symmetry of a protein can greatly influence its function. For example, proteins with rotational symmetry may have binding sites that are able to interact with multiple ligands at once, increasing their efficiency. Additionally, symmetry can also play a role in the stability and folding of proteins.

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