May 15, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 10)
Rating:
Strong Points: Unique Coverage
Weak Points: None
Summary:
Take a crystallographic image of a macromolecule in one form. Recrystalize it and obtain its image in another form. Repeat a few times and you will build up a set of images of depicting several fixed forms of the protein. Then, using computational tools to interpolate intermediate structures between each image defined as an ‘endpoint,’ one can build a movie of macromolecular motion that can be readily viewed. That’s the idea behind the Database of Macromolecular Movements which grows with leaps and bounds as increasing numbers of molecular structures are being solved. Visitors can locate desired movies by browsing, searching, or sorting. In addition, the site provides morphing services to interpolate between any two protein conformations. Structure analysis programs are also available for download . An outstanding resource for structural biologists.