ATP Synthase – by Min’s definition, a gigantic protein. (Actually, probably by anyone’s standard.) It puts the might in mightochondria – or would, if mitochondria was spelled that way. A very cool, multi-functional protein that can generate membrane potential one way and ATP the other.
Here’s a picture from wikipedia:
My problem is that I can’t find anything from the protein data bank – only tiny parts of it. Does anyone have ideas?
From David Goodsell’s Dec 2005 Molecule of the Month
“Parts List
Large, complex molecular machines like ATP synthase pose difficult problems for structural scientists, so the structures of these machines are often determined in parts. The picture shown here is a composite of four different structures, combining structures determined by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. The F0 motor is included in PDB file 1c17. The F1 motor and the axle that connects the two are included in PDB file 1e79. The stator has proven to be the most elusive part–the two pieces shown here are from PDB files 2a7u and 1l2p.”
http://www.rcsb.org/pdb/static.do?p=education_discussion/molecule_of_the_month/pdb72_1.html