Sandbox10

This sandbox is in use until June 1, 2009 for UMass Chemistry 490a. Others please do not edit this page. Thanks! Brendan Jones

Myosin 2 Motor Domain

Myosin is a protein known largely for it's involvement in the contraction of the body's muscles. However, this protein can also be found in the ears and eyes, blood platelets, and it has functions in cytokinesis.

Myosin II is found in the myofibers of skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle tissue where the protein forms the thick filaments. The myosin of the thick filaments has the ability to bind the thin filaments, composed of actin. The myosin head then rotates and pulls the two filaments past one another providing the basis for muscle contraction.

The portion of the protein that is shown is the motor domain of the heavy chain. This protein is largely composed of alpha-helices connected by .

This view shows the active sites of the protein with the ATP analog ADP-Metavanadate bound to one active site and the allosteric inhibitor pentabromopseudilin.

Myosin contains many TextToBeDisplayed side chains on the surface of the protein, but there are also a large number of nonpolar molecules on the surface. The following scene shows a contrast between hydrophobic (gray) and hydrophilic molecules on the surface of the protein.

Thanks to Fedorov, R., Boehl, M., Tsiavaliaris, G., Hartmann, F.K., Baruch, P., Brenner, B., Martin, R., Knoelker, H.J., Gutzeit, H.O., Manstein, D.J. for their work in resolving the structure of this protein.