RESIDUES

Note: There are three (3) figures in this link. Please use the scroll bar to see all three figures.

Introduction

This link displays the three residues that line the two (2) types of channels in ferritin. As you look at the 3 residues, try to determine the differences in them. These differences are what leads to the 4-fold channel being hydrophobic and the 3-fold channel being hydrophilic.

Leucine

Leucine is the amino-acid residue that lines the 4-fold channel. This residue contains 2 functional groups that are polar; COO^- and CNH₃⁺.

Figure 1: This figure displays a stick representation, a ChemDraw representation, and a CPK representation of the amino-acid residue leucine (Zwitterionic form). Note: The carbon atoms are green, the hydrogen atoms are white, the nitrogen atoms are blue, and the oxygen atoms are red in both models.

Glutamate

Glutamate is one of the amino-acid residues that line the 3-fold channel. This residue contains 3 functional groups that are polar: 2 COO^- and 1 CNH₃⁺.

Figure 2: This figure displays a stick representation, a ChemDraw representation, and a CPK representation of the amino-acid residue glutamate. Note: The carbon atoms are green, the hydrogen atoms are white, the nitrogen atoms are blue, and the oxygen atoms are red in both models.

Aspartate

Aspartate is one of the amino-acid residues that line the 3-fold channel. This residue contains 3 functional groups that are polar: 2 COO^- and 1 CNH₃⁺.

Figure 3: This figure displays a stick representation, A ChemDraw representation, and a CPK representation of the amino-acid residue aspartate. Note: The carbon atoms are green, the hydrogen atoms are white, the nitrogen atoms are blue, and the oxygen atoms are red in both models.

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