Protein Models: GFP and Insulin
📖 Background
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a protein isolated from jellyfish and has been actively used in research as a molecular marker.
On the other hand, human insulin, has been actively produced in the labs as therapeutic intervention to diabetes.
Both GFP and insulin are proteins and can reflect the different levels of protein organization.
⚙️ The following are resources to get a visual of these structures.
1. RCSB links - These links direct you to the crystal structure (the actual structure derived from X-ray crystallography) of the proteins. Rotate the proteins, zoom in on their structures through these links: GFP, insulin.
2. Paper Models - If you have a printer available, you may want to have a tactile experience by printing these instructions to make your own paper model of GFP and insulin.
🤔 Thought Questions
From these models, try answering/ reflecting on these questions.
- What are the predominant secondary structures for insulin and GFP?
- What types of bonds stabilize their tertiary structures?
- Do both of them have quaternary structures?
- How do their structures enable their functions?