This page uses the Jmol java applet. Be sure your browser is java-enabled. Be patient--it may take several seconds for the structure to load! After it loads, you can drag the structure to rotate it or shift-drag to zoom.
You can use the radio button controls to display the structure in different styles and colors. The backbone of the protein can be represented by a ribbon or in a cartoon style. The atoms can be represented as space-filling spheres or as wires. The structure can be colored in a blue-to-red continuum from the N-terminal to the C-terminal, or color can be used to depict positive and negative charges (blue = positive, red = negative), or color can depict the elements (gray = carbon, blue = nitrogen, red = oxygen, yellow = sulfur). If you have a 2-button or 3-button mouse, the right-button may give you more display options.
This is the structure of a protein called lactalbumin (Protein Data Bank structure 1B9O ), determined by X-ray crystallography. This protein binds calcium in lactating mammary glands and is the principal protein in milk. It contains all of the essential amino acids and may play a role in immunomodulation in infants. The calcium ion is shown as an orange sphere.
© by D. Eric Walters