Caltech modeling feat sheds light on protein channel's function
Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 16:30
in Physics & Chemistry
The ribosome (red-blue) in complex with the translocon channel (green), which is embedded in the cell membrane (yellow, white). Chemists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have managed, for the first time, to simulate the biological function of a channel called the Sec translocon, which allows specific proteins to pass through membranes. The feat required bridging timescales from the realm of nanoseconds all the way up to full minutes, exceeding the scope of earlier simulation efforts by more than six orders of magnitude. The result is a detailed molecular understanding of how the translocon works.