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Lifecycle of SARS-CoV-2

What happens if a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus enters your lung? This molecular animation visualises how the virus particle can take over the host cell and turns it into a virus factory. Eventually, the host cell produces so many viral particles that it dies and releases numerous new virus particles. >>> Visit this page >>>

Molecular Sculpture

by Eric Martz
A historical review on sculptures and physical models of macromolecules.

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Interconversion of the specificities of human lysosomal enzymes associated with Fabry and Schindler diseases.

IB Tomasic, MC Metcalf, AI Guce, NE Clark, SC Garman. J. Biol. Chem. 2010 doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.118588
The human lysosomal enzymes α-galactosidase and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase share 46% amino acid sequence identity and have similar folds. Using a rational protein engineering approach, we interconverted the enzymatic specificity of α-GAL and α-NAGAL. The engineered α-GAL retains the antigenicity but has acquired the enzymatic specificity of α-NAGAL. Conversely, the engineered α-NAGAL retains the antigenicity but has acquired the enzymatic specificity of the α-GAL enzyme. Comparison of the crystal structures of the designed enzyme to the wild-type enzymes shows that active sites superimpose well, indicating success of the rational design. The designed enzymes might be useful as non-immunogenic alternatives in enzyme replacement therapy for treatment of lysosomal storage disorders such as Fabry disease.

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Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus
Although only a few people in the USA get Eastern Equine Encephalitis every year, the fatality rate is 30%, and many survivors have ongoing neurological problems. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes from animals, especially birds, to humans. This RNA virus has a complicated capsid (a slab of which is shown) composed of protein shells with an enclosed lipid bilayer. The structures of virus capsids can be explored using free FirstGlance in Jmol.

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