BSE321A - Structural Biology

Part I Principles of Protein Structure from primary sequence to three dimensional structures. Elementary ideas of bonding and structure. The building blocks. Motifs of Protein structure. Prediction, design and engineering of protein structures. Part II The Structural Basis of Protein Function. Four fundamental biochemical functions of proteins, Recognition, Complimentarily and Active Sites. Flexibility and Protein Function, Location and nature of Binding Sites, Functional Properties of, Structural Proteins, Catalysis: Overview, Active Site Geometry, Proximity and Ground State Destabilization, Stabilization of Transition States, Active Site Chemistry. Control of Protein Function. Mechanisms of Regulation. Part Ill Determination of 3DStructures using X-ray crystallography an overview of the method. Laboratory experiments protein preparation for crystallization experiments, protein crystallization, Evaluating the quality of crystals, Cryoprotecting crystals at low temperature for data collection. X-ray diffraction data collection and processing a demonstration session.