The interrelationship of structure and function is a key theme of biology. One important example of this relationship involves how the three-dimensional shapes of proteins are related to the roles they play at the cellular level. The treatment of protein structure in many introductory textbooks, however, is cursory and focuses on the relationships among primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure without a clear link to how these levels of organization contribute to functional aspects of the protein. This short and engaging hands-on activity helps reinforce the connection between the ultimate spatial conformation of a specific protein and its “job.” By exploring the structure and function of a hypothetical protein, students develop a conceptual understanding of how these important elements connect in real life (e.g., the roles of actin and myosin in muscle contraction, of proton pumps in cellular energy conversions, or of immunoglobulin proteins in helping an immune system fight...
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October 2012
Research Article|
October 01 2012
Modeling Protein Structure & Function: Pencil Transferase
Jeanne Ting Chowning,
Jeanne Ting Chowning
1JEANNE TING CHOWNING is Director of Education ([email protected]), DINA KOVARIK ([email protected]) is Program Manager of Bioinformatics, and JOAN GRISWOLD ([email protected]) is Curriculum Design Lead, all at Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, 100 W. Harrison N430, Seattle, WA 98119.
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Dina Kovarik,
Dina Kovarik
1JEANNE TING CHOWNING is Director of Education ([email protected]), DINA KOVARIK ([email protected]) is Program Manager of Bioinformatics, and JOAN GRISWOLD ([email protected]) is Curriculum Design Lead, all at Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, 100 W. Harrison N430, Seattle, WA 98119.
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Joan Griswold
Joan Griswold
1JEANNE TING CHOWNING is Director of Education ([email protected]), DINA KOVARIK ([email protected]) is Program Manager of Bioinformatics, and JOAN GRISWOLD ([email protected]) is Curriculum Design Lead, all at Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, 100 W. Harrison N430, Seattle, WA 98119.
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The American Biology Teacher (2012) 74 (8): 581–582.
Citation
Jeanne Ting Chowning, Dina Kovarik, Joan Griswold; Modeling Protein Structure & Function: Pencil Transferase. The American Biology Teacher 1 October 2012; 74 (8): 581–582. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2012.74.8.9
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