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Protein Expressions. Study n. 3

1. Author: SciVis – Scientific Visualization Unit, IFC-CNR
2. Director: Monica Zoppé
3. Scientific Advisor: Monica Zoppé
4. Editor: Tiziana Loni
5. Photography: Stefano Cianchetta
6. Music: Antonio Dell’Aquila
7. Production: SciVis – Scientific Visualization Unit, IFC-CNR
8. Italy
9. 5 min.
10. 2010

After a short introductory scenes in a capillary, we approach the surface of a cell and land on its surface, where we see groups of proteins dancing in a raft. After falling into a Potassium channel, we meet apoCalmodulin, the major protein featuring in the film. It is shown changing conformation (modelled at atomic level, with all its 2200 atoms) without its activator. The surface of the protein is studied to show its lipophilic potential (surface texture) and its electrostatic potential (particles flowing along field lines towards negative charges). The crowding of the cellular environment is represented in the following scene, dominated by microtubules, which we follow together with one of its 'runners' (Kinesin 8), until the extreme periphery, after a very fast trip. Here we recognize a different scene, with Actin/Myosin filaments ready to start contraction, but still awaiting the signal: this arrives in the form of Calcium ions that bind to Calmodulin, activate it and induce a new conformational change. In the new shape, Calmodulin can bind to MLCK, which in turn activates the machinery of the cytoskeleton to start the contraction of the equatorial ring which will eventually lead to the separation of the cells into two. A more detailed description of the scenes and of the methods used to obtain the movie can be found and downloaded from our website: www.scivis.ifc.cnr.it. All our scripts and materials are available upon request in open format.