Switch structural alignment

Structural Alignment of the Switch-1 and Switch-2 Regions of Kinesin Motor Domains with Secondary Structure Assignments and Classification of the Switch-2 Cluster and Neck/Neck Linker Conformations... 

The need to improve the electrical communication between redox proteins and electrodes, and the understanding that the structural orientation at the molecular level of redox proteins and electroactive relay units on the conductive surfaces is a key element to facilitate ET, introduced tremendous research efforts to nano-engineer enzyme electrodes with improved ET functionalities. The present chapter addresses recent advances in the assembly of structurally aligned enzyme layers on electrodes by means of surface reconstitution and surface crosslinking of structurally oriented enzyme/cofactor complexes on electrodes. The ET properties of the nano-structured interfaces is discussed, as well as the possible application of the systems in bioelectronic devices such as biosensors, biofuel cell elements or optical and electrical switches. 

Click the Press to Start Compare 3D button to open the display window showing the overlapped structures (Figure 15.9). The menu bar consists of Command (Reset, Exit), Feature table (Browse features...), Align menu (Control penal), and 3D menu (rotate, translate, zoom, switch Ca/all atoms). 

The use of self-assembling peptides is also explored beyond the medical, pharmaceutical, or cosmetics industry. Areas of interest are among others functional foods, electronics, functional coatings, and catalysis (but different from enzyme research). As an example, peptides can be designed to switch from a random coil-like primary structure organization into an a-helix or [3-sheet secondary structure with unique properties. Short peptides align to form [3-sheet tapes with different functionalities, for example, hydrophilic and hydrophobic on either side of the tape to form monolayer coatings (Boden et al., 1996). 

Apart from subtle exceptions, an isolated molecule differs from a molecule in a crystal in that the isolated molecule has no shape, whereas in a crystal it acquires shape, but loses its identity as an independent entity. This paradoxical situation is best understood through the famous Goldstone theorem, which for the present purpose is interpreted to state that any phase transition, or symmetry broken, is induced by a special interaction. When a molecule is introduced into an environment of other molecules of its own kind, a phase transition occurs as the molecule changes its ideal (gas) behaviour to suit the non-ideal conditions, created by the van der Waals interaction with its neighbours. An applied electric or magnetic field may induce another type of transformation due to polarization of the molecular charge density, which may cause alignment of the nuclei. When the field is switched off the inverse transformation happens and the structure disappears. The Faraday effect (6.2.3) is one example. 

The LB technique enables us to obtain ultrathin films with the structures and thicknesses controlled at the molecular level, which promises applications to various fields. One of the challenges is to construct a new type of switching device based on conductive LB films. For this purpose, a supramolecular system is used since the geometrical alignment of the functional units are defined by the molecular design of the supermolecules to be used. 

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