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Biology of Plants

plant cells build molecular machines for photosynthesis, infrastructure and communication, and protection

Life on the Earth relies on plants: they build sugar from air and water using photosynthesis, and then most living things survive, either directly or indirectly, by consuming them. Plants face unique challenges, since they are usually rooted in place, but still need to find light and nutrients and protect themselves from dangers. Atomic structures have revealed the fine details of the photosynthetic machinery, as well as the many unusual molecules made by plant cells for regulation and protection.

Molecule of the Month Articles (54)

Abscisic Acid Receptor

Acetohydroxyacid Synthase

Auxin and TIR1 Ubiquitin Ligase

Bacteriorhodopsin

	Abscisic Acid Receptor Regulating drought tolerance in plants
	Acetohydroxyacid Synthase In plants, AHAS performs the first step in synthesis of three essential amino acids, making it an effective target for herbicides.
	Auxin and TIR1 Ubiquitin Ligase The plant hormone auxin controls growth and response to light and gravity
	Bacteriorhodopsin Bacteriorhodopsin pumps protons powered by green sunlight
	Carbon Capture Mechanisms Scientists are studying cyanobacteria to improve the productivity of agricultural crops
	Carbonic Anhydrase Carbonic anhydrase solubilizes carbon dioxide gas so we can breathe it out
	Carotenoid Oxygenase Light-sensing retinal molecules are built from colorful carotenoids in our diet
	Cellulose Synthase Plants build tough cellulose strands one sugar at a time.
	Concanavalin A and Circular Permutation For some proteins, clipped and reassembled sequences can produce the same 3D shape
	Cytochrome bc1 A flow of electrons powers proton pumps in cellular respiration and photosynthesis
	EPSP Synthase and Weedkillers The weedkiller Roundup attacks a key enzyme involved in the construction of aromatic compounds.
	Fatty Acid Synthase Fatty acids are constructed in many sequential steps by a large protein complex
	Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) A tiny fluorescent protein from jellyfish has revolutionized cell biology
	Isoprene Synthase Plants release a billion metric tons of isoprene and other organic gases every year.
	Monellin Monellin and other supersweet proteins trick our taste receptors.
	Nitrogenase Nitrogenase uses an exotic cluster of metals to fix atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable ammonia
	Photosynthetic Supercomplexes Light is captured by huge supercomplexes of photosystems and antenna systems.
	Photosystem I Photosystem I captures the energy in sunlight
	Photosystem II Photosystem II captures the energy from sunlight and uses it to extract electrons from water molecules
	Phototropin Phototrophins sense the level of blue light, allowing plants to respond to changing environmental conditions
	Phytohormone Receptor DWARF14 Some phytohormones mobilize the cell’s protein degradation machinery to regulate plant growth and development.
	Phytosulfokine Receptor Phytosulfokine and other small peptides deliver signals about growth and development in plants.
	Ricin The structure of ricin reveals how it kills cells and how vaccines can produce immunity against ricin poisoning
	Rubisco Rubisco fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide into bioavailable sugar molecules
	TAL Effectors TAL-effectors are modular, DNA-reading proteins that can be used to edit DNA in living cells
	TOC-TIC Translocon The large TOC-TIC supercomplex transports proteins into the chloroplast
	ZAR1 Resistosome Plants protect themselves from infection with immune system machines such as the resistosome
	Abscisic Acid Receptor Regulating drought tolerance in plants
	Acetohydroxyacid Synthase In plants, AHAS performs the first step in synthesis of three essential amino acids, making it an effective target for herbicides.
	Auxin and TIR1 Ubiquitin Ligase The plant hormone auxin controls growth and response to light and gravity
	Bacteriorhodopsin Bacteriorhodopsin pumps protons powered by green sunlight
	Carbon Capture Mechanisms Scientists are studying cyanobacteria to improve the productivity of agricultural crops
	Carbonic Anhydrase Carbonic anhydrase solubilizes carbon dioxide gas so we can breathe it out
	Carotenoid Oxygenase Light-sensing retinal molecules are built from colorful carotenoids in our diet
	Cellulose Synthase Plants build tough cellulose strands one sugar at a time.
	Concanavalin A and Circular Permutation For some proteins, clipped and reassembled sequences can produce the same 3D shape
	Cytochrome bc1 A flow of electrons powers proton pumps in cellular respiration and photosynthesis
	EPSP Synthase and Weedkillers The weedkiller Roundup attacks a key enzyme involved in the construction of aromatic compounds.
	Fatty Acid Synthase Fatty acids are constructed in many sequential steps by a large protein complex
	Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) A tiny fluorescent protein from jellyfish has revolutionized cell biology
	Isoprene Synthase Plants release a billion metric tons of isoprene and other organic gases every year.
	Monellin Monellin and other supersweet proteins trick our taste receptors.
	Nitrogenase Nitrogenase uses an exotic cluster of metals to fix atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable ammonia
	Photosynthetic Supercomplexes Light is captured by huge supercomplexes of photosystems and antenna systems.
	Photosystem I Photosystem I captures the energy in sunlight
	Photosystem II Photosystem II captures the energy from sunlight and uses it to extract electrons from water molecules
	Phototropin Phototrophins sense the level of blue light, allowing plants to respond to changing environmental conditions
	Phytohormone Receptor DWARF14 Some phytohormones mobilize the cell’s protein degradation machinery to regulate plant growth and development.
	Phytosulfokine Receptor Phytosulfokine and other small peptides deliver signals about growth and development in plants.
	Ricin The structure of ricin reveals how it kills cells and how vaccines can produce immunity against ricin poisoning
	Rubisco Rubisco fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide into bioavailable sugar molecules
	TAL Effectors TAL-effectors are modular, DNA-reading proteins that can be used to edit DNA in living cells
	TOC-TIC Translocon The large TOC-TIC supercomplex transports proteins into the chloroplast
	ZAR1 Resistosome Plants protect themselves from infection with immune system machines such as the resistosome

Learning Resources (11)

Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank

(Flyer)

Virus Structures

(Flyer)

Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank

(Poster)

Photosynthesis

(Video)

Nitrobindin

Phytochrome

Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2

Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (1)

Cellulose Synthase

	Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank Flyer The enormous range of molecular shapes and sizes in the PDB archive is illustrated using 96 structures, depicted relative to the cellular membrane.
	Virus Structures Flyer Learn about polyhedral, helical, complex, and enveloped viruses with examples drawn at approximately 900,000x magnification. Created in collaboration with EMDataBank.
	Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank Poster The enormous range of molecular shapes and sizes in the PDB archive is illustrated using 96 structures, depicted relative to the cellular membrane.
	Photosynthesis Video Plants use photosynthesis to capture energy from sunlight
	Interactive Tour of PDB's Molecular Machinery Viewer This interactive view of molecular machinery in the PDB archive lets users select a structure, access a 3D view of the entry using the NGL Viewer, read a brief summary of the molecule’s biological role, and access the corresponding PDB entry and Molecule of the Month article.
	Coloring Molecular Machinery Coloring Book This is a molecular coloring book for all artists.
	Discovering Biology Through Crystallography Coloring Book Color the diverse 3D shapes studied by crystallographers. Created with support from the ACA. Available as a PDF and individual images.
	Exploring Carbohydrates Guide The RCSB provides many tools to explore the functional roles of carbohydrates.
	3D Print: Green Fluorescent Protein Other Resource Download curated file of green fluorescent protein (GFP) for 3D printing
	PDB Data, RCSB PDB, and KBase Other Resource
	Exploring the Structural Biology of Bioenergy Article Cells capture and utilize many forms of energy to power their molecular processes

Biology of Plants

Molecule of the Month Articles (54)

Learning Resources (11)

Structural Biology Highlights (3)

Goodsell Molecular Landscapes (1)