Mariana Patiño Restrepo Molecular Biology Universidad Pontifica Bolivariana, Medellín-Colombia 2015

1. PROTEIN STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION
Mariana Patiño Restrepo
Molecular Biology
3th Semester

4. Processes involucrated in
the cell cicle (replication,
transcription, RNA
splicing and traduction)
Amino acids are molecules
that have an amino group (-
NH2) and a carboxyl gruop (-
COOH) separated by a carbon
atom.

5. Scientists Solve Structure of
Important Protein for Tumor
Growth
Sanford Burnham Prebys
Medical Discovery Institute-
Argonne National Laboratory
August 6, 2015

6. Scientists Solve Structure of Important
Protein for Tumor Growth
• They solved the
structures of both
HIF1-alpha and HIF2-
alpha complexed with
the ARNT subunit, a
configuration required
for HIF functionality.

7. Scientists Solve Structure of Important
Protein for Tumor Growth
• HIF proteins
regulate genes that
play a role in the
progression of some
tumors.

8. Scientists Solve Structure of Important
Protein for Tumor Growth
• They identified five
different pockets in
the architecture of the
HIF complexes, all of
them may be used for
targeting small-
molecule inhibitors.

9. Scientists Solve Structure of Important
Protein for Tumor Growth
I think science is taking big
steps in the analysis of
proteins structure by
knowing that this is going
to allow us to recognize
how to activate or inhibit
processes for preventing
the origin of diseases such
as cancer and also how the
protein works.
• STUDENT’S OBSERVATION:

10. Structure of HIV
Capsid protein in its
native state revealed
University of Missouri
School of Medicine
July 19, 2015

11. Structure of HIV Capsid protein in its native
state revealed
HIV virus has a unique
ability to constantly adapt
and mutate which makes it
challenging to develop
effective drugs against it.

12. Structure of HIV Capsid protein in its
native state revealed
• The capsid shell acts as
an ‘invisibility cloak’ that
hides the virus genetic
information, while it is
being copied in a hostile
environment for the
virus.

13. Structure of HIV Capsid protein in its
native state revealed
• The model of the capsid protein,
revealed “ordered” water
molecules at areas between the
viral proteins.
• The water molecules help the
capsid shell to be flexible and
assume different forms.

14. Structure of HIV Capsid protein in its
native state revealed
• STUDENT’S OBSERVATION
It surprises me a lot how the
structure of a protein can say a lot
of how a virus (in this case)can
attack the body and the ability to
mutate which makes it
challenging to develop effective
drugs against it. This new
achievement will provide us more
hopes to reach the cure of AIDS.

15. Medical Utility

16. Medical Utility
Proteins are macromolecules
essencial for much bioprocesses
like biochemical reactions,
building structures and useful to
treat diseases. That’s why they
are related to medicine and
science, so inhibiting or
activating the processes that they
are part of, we can prevent the
development of diseases.

17. Medical Utility
• It’s fundamental to know their function and
structure to realize how they work and their
agonists, all of this in order to develop drugs and
treatments to inhibit or activate some functions
of proteins or their agonists.

18. Medical Utility
• The lab techniques and
knowledge would
increase and be better
if the science focuses
on the knowledge of
these molecules and
leverages its usefulness
as a fundamental part
of life.

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• MARTINEZ SÁNCHEZ, Lina María. Biología molecular. 8. ed.
Medellín: UPB. Fac. de Medicina, 2015. Pp 147-150.
• Sanford-Burnham Medical Re-search Institute. Scientists Solve
Structure of Important Protein for Tumor Growth. Drug Discovery
& Development Magazine [online ma-gazine]. August 2015.
Retrieved on 07/08/15. Available in:
http://www.dddmag.com/news/2015/08/scientists-solve-
structure-important-protein-tumor-growth
• D'SOUZA, AREETHA. Structure of HIV Capsid protein in its native
state revealed. Biotechin.asia [online magazine]. July 2015. Re-
trieved on 07/08/15. Available in:
http://biotechin.asia/2015/07/19/structure-of-hiv-capsid-protein-
in-its-native-state-revealed/