Suggested Topics for Kinemage Authors
The kinemage project is intended to help students better understand structure-function
relationships. All students, whether authoring a kinemage or writing a traditional paper,
should make the relationship between the structure of a macromolecule and its biological
function the primary focus of this assignment. Students in both groups should select one
or more structures from the protein data bank that would fit into one of the following
randomly assigned (by the instructor) topic categories. Technically the random assignment
is into groups, and not necessarily by topic. They can choose from a list, if you so
desire.
The structures should be less than three years old, have a resolution of <3
angstroms, and must be approved by the instructor, particularly if there is a kinemage on
this topic already available. The instructor should feel free to adapt this topic list to
the needs of the particular course he/she is teaching. For example, a molecular biology
oriented course may want to include DNA and RNA structures, or perhaps restriction
enzymes. A metabolism oriented course may place more emphasis on regulatory structures and
allosterism.
- Suggested topic categories:
- DNA polymerases
- Other nucleic acid polymerases
- DNA replication proteins (not polymerases)
- DNA repair proteins (not polymerases)
- Proteins associated with RNA
- Lipid carrier proteins
- Proteins associated with drug resistance
- Modular proteins (multiple functional domains on one polypeptide chain)
- Oxidative phosphorylation proteins
- Enzymes associated with glycolysis
- Enzymes associated with the TCA cycle
- Enzymes associated with fatty acid metabolism
- Enzymes associated with steroid metabolism
- Membrane proteins associated with ion channels
- Membrane proteins associated with signal transduction
- Proteins involved in photosynthesis
- Extremely thermostable proteins (compare with "normal" counterparts)
- Enzymes complexed with transition state analog inhibitors
- Proteins playing structural roles (eg fibrous proteins, microtubules, etc)