Ribbon Diagram Comparison (IMAGE)

University of Maryland

Ribbon Diagram Comparison

Caption

This pair of 'ribbon diagram' images compares the three-dimensional structures of two closely related proteins, determined by X-ray crystallography: (L) the HAP2 protein from the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and (R) the fusion protein from dengue virus. Both proteins are necessary for fusion with a cell membrane, enabling both sexual reproduction (via the fusion of sex cells) and viral invasion of a cell, respectively. New research suggests that these proteins are functionally identical and evolved early in the history of life on Earth.

Credit

Felix Rey, Pasteur Institute

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