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Biological Energy

capturing and converting sources of power

Cells are masters at managing energy, capturing sources of energy from the environment and converting them into forms that the cells can use. Atomic structures have revealed how cells manage chemical energy, mechanical energy, electrical energy, and even light.

Molecule of the Month Articles (64)

Aconitase and Iron Regulatory Protein 1

Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Alpha-amylase

ATP Synthase

	Aconitase and Iron Regulatory Protein 1 Aconitase performs a reaction in the citric acid cycle, and moonlights as a regulatory protein
	Alcohol Dehydrogenase Alcohol dehydrogenase detoxifies the ethanol we drink
	Alpha-amylase Amylases digest starch to produce glucose
	ATP Synthase ATP synthase links two rotary motors to generate ATP
	Bacteriorhodopsin Bacteriorhodopsin pumps protons powered by green sunlight
	Beta-galactosidase Beta-galactosidase is a powerful tool for genetic engineering of bacteria
	Biodegradable Plastic Bacteria build biodegradable plastic that could be better for the environment
	Cellulases and Bioenergy Powerful fungal enzymes break down cellulose during industrial production of ethanol from plant material.
	Citrate Synthase Citrate synthase opens and closes around its substrates as part of the citric acid cycle
	Citric Acid Cycle Eight enzymes form a cyclic pathway for energy production and biosynthesis
	Complex I A proton-pumping protein complex performs the first step of the respiratory electron transport chain
	Cytochrome bc1 A flow of electrons powers proton pumps in cellular respiration and photosynthesis
	Cytochrome c Cytochrome c shuttles electrons during the production of cellular energy
	Cytochrome c Oxidase Cytochrome oxidase extracts energy from food using oxygen
	Fatty Acid Synthase Fatty acids are constructed in many sequential steps by a large protein complex
	GFP-like Proteins GFP-like proteins found in nature or engineered in the laboratory now span every color of the rainbow
	Glycogen Phosphorylase Glycogen phosphorylase releases sugar from its cellular storehouse
	Glycolytic Enzymes The ten enzymes of glycolysis break down sugar in our diet
	Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) A tiny fluorescent protein from jellyfish has revolutionized cell biology
	Hypoxia-Inducible Factors HIF-α is a molecular switch that responds to changing oxygen levels.
	Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Atomic structures have revealed the catalytic steps of a citric acid cycle enzyme
	Lactate Dehydrogenase Our cells temporarily build lactate when supplies of oxygen are low
	Luciferase Organisms from fireflies to bacteria use luciferase to emit light
	Myoglobin Myoglobin was the first protein to have its atomic structure determined, revealing how it stores oxygen in muscle cells.
	Photosynthetic Supercomplexes Light is captured by huge supercomplexes of photosystems and antenna systems.
	Photosystem I Photosystem I captures the energy in sunlight
	Phototropin Phototrophins sense the level of blue light, allowing plants to respond to changing environmental conditions
	Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex A huge molecular complex links three sequential reactions for energy production
	Pyruvate Kinase M2 Pyruvate kinases are the paradoxical gatekeepers for cancer cell metabolism and growth.
	Respiratory Supercomplex In our mitochondria, three electron-transport complexes assemble into a supercomplex.
	Rhodopsin In our eyes, rhodopsin uses the molecule retinal to see light
	Trypsin An activated serine amino acid in trypsin cleaves protein chains
	Aconitase and Iron Regulatory Protein 1 Aconitase performs a reaction in the citric acid cycle, and moonlights as a regulatory protein
	Alcohol Dehydrogenase Alcohol dehydrogenase detoxifies the ethanol we drink
	Alpha-amylase Amylases digest starch to produce glucose
	ATP Synthase ATP synthase links two rotary motors to generate ATP
	Bacteriorhodopsin Bacteriorhodopsin pumps protons powered by green sunlight
	Beta-galactosidase Beta-galactosidase is a powerful tool for genetic engineering of bacteria
	Biodegradable Plastic Bacteria build biodegradable plastic that could be better for the environment
	Cellulases and Bioenergy Powerful fungal enzymes break down cellulose during industrial production of ethanol from plant material.
	Citrate Synthase Citrate synthase opens and closes around its substrates as part of the citric acid cycle
	Citric Acid Cycle Eight enzymes form a cyclic pathway for energy production and biosynthesis
	Complex I A proton-pumping protein complex performs the first step of the respiratory electron transport chain
	Cytochrome bc1 A flow of electrons powers proton pumps in cellular respiration and photosynthesis
	Cytochrome c Cytochrome c shuttles electrons during the production of cellular energy
	Cytochrome c Oxidase Cytochrome oxidase extracts energy from food using oxygen
	Fatty Acid Synthase Fatty acids are constructed in many sequential steps by a large protein complex
	GFP-like Proteins GFP-like proteins found in nature or engineered in the laboratory now span every color of the rainbow
	Glycogen Phosphorylase Glycogen phosphorylase releases sugar from its cellular storehouse
	Glycolytic Enzymes The ten enzymes of glycolysis break down sugar in our diet
	Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) A tiny fluorescent protein from jellyfish has revolutionized cell biology
	Hypoxia-Inducible Factors HIF-α is a molecular switch that responds to changing oxygen levels.
	Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Atomic structures have revealed the catalytic steps of a citric acid cycle enzyme
	Lactate Dehydrogenase Our cells temporarily build lactate when supplies of oxygen are low
	Luciferase Organisms from fireflies to bacteria use luciferase to emit light
	Myoglobin Myoglobin was the first protein to have its atomic structure determined, revealing how it stores oxygen in muscle cells.
	Photosynthetic Supercomplexes Light is captured by huge supercomplexes of photosystems and antenna systems.
	Photosystem I Photosystem I captures the energy in sunlight
	Phototropin Phototrophins sense the level of blue light, allowing plants to respond to changing environmental conditions
	Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex A huge molecular complex links three sequential reactions for energy production
	Pyruvate Kinase M2 Pyruvate kinases are the paradoxical gatekeepers for cancer cell metabolism and growth.
	Respiratory Supercomplex In our mitochondria, three electron-transport complexes assemble into a supercomplex.
	Rhodopsin In our eyes, rhodopsin uses the molecule retinal to see light
	Trypsin An activated serine amino acid in trypsin cleaves protein chains

Learning Resources (7)

Green and Red Fluorescent Proteins

(Paper Model)

ATP synthase

(GIF)

Photosynthesis

(Video)

Exploring Carbohydrates

(Guide)

Aspartate Dehydrogenase

Coenzyme F₄₂₀ Synthesis

Cytochrome Oxidase

Evolution of Photoconversion

Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (5)

Escherichia coli Bacterium

Myoglobin in a Whale Muscle Cell

Chloroplast

Mycoplasma mycoides

	Green and Red Fluorescent Proteins Paper Model A tiny fluorescent protein from jellyfish has revolutionized cell biology
	ATP synthase GIF ATP synthase
	Photosynthesis Video Plants use photosynthesis to capture energy from sunlight
	Exploring Carbohydrates Guide The RCSB provides many tools to explore the functional roles of carbohydrates.
	3D Print: Alpha-amylase Other Resource Download curated file of Alpha-amylase for 3D printing.
	Molecular Backgrounds For Virtual Meetings Other Resources Download images created by David Goodsell to add a molecular backdrop to your next virtual meeting. Click on the image to expand.
	Exploring the Structural Biology of Bioenergy Article Cells capture and utilize many forms of energy to power their molecular processes

	Myoglobin Fold Geis illustrated the structure of myoglobin, focusing on the folding pattern of the secondary structure of the protein. Unlike previous myoglobin Illustrations, this painting focuses on the tertiary structure of the molecule rather than the sequence or surface.
	Myoglobin Geis highlights the hundreds of chemical bonds in the lattice of myoglobin.
	Trypsin Geis illustrates the structure of bovine trypsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, which was first revealed by X-ray crystallography in 1971 and further explored in 1974 (Krieger et al., 1974). This illustration was originally published in Scientific American (Stroud, 1984). Trypsin is a protease, an enzyme that catalyzes cleavage of polypeptide chains (Stroud, 1984). Geis' sketch depicts the structure with a ball-and-stick model and displays the sidechains of aspartic acid (Asp102), histidine (His57), and serine (Ser195), known as the catalytic triad.
	Myohemerythrin The colored print depicts the structure of myohemerythrin, which was first revealed by X-ray crystallography in 1975 (Hendrickson et al., 1975) and further refined in 1987 (Sheriff et al., 1987). Geis's illustration depicts the tertiary structure of the protein, highlighting the four anti-parallel alpha-helices and the presence of mu-oxo-diiron (iron atoms in red and oxygen atom in pink) located within the core of the macromolecule (Myohemerythrin).

	Escherichia coli Bacterium A cross-section through an Escherichia coli cell reveals the crowded nature of the cell and diverse molecular processes.
	Myoglobin in a Whale Muscle Cell Cross section through a whale muscle shows the dense packing of myoglobin
	Chloroplast Chloroplast (2011) by David S. Goodsell
	Mycoplasma mycoides Mycoplasma mycoides (2011) by David S. Goodsell. doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-011
	Escherichia coli Escherichia coli (1999) by David S. Goodsell

Biological Energy

Molecule of the Month Articles (64)

Learning Resources (7)

Structural Biology Highlights (6)

Geis Digital Archive (4)

Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (5)