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HIV-1 Protease: An Enzyme at Work
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Erica Bode Jacobsen Institute for Chemical Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1396 Jerrold J. Jacobsen and J. Monty Wright University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1396 |
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Order Item Number: SP-13 Ordering Information This video is included in Chemistry Comes Alive! Volume 5. |
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HIV-1 Protease: An Enzyme at Work is a set of materials designed to help instructors explain enzymatic processes through the example of HIV-1 protease. The materials include a videotape and a written manual of teacher's information and student activities. They are suitable for use with high school and undergraduate students.
A potential treatment for HIV focuses on the enzyme known as HIV-1 protease, which is essential for the maturation of new virus particles. If an inhibitor that blocks the protease's active site could be developed it might stop the replication of HIV (1). To oversimplify, HIV might be cured. The protease is an excellent candidate for use in explaining enzymatic processes. HIV is a current hot topic that can draw students into a discussion of HIV-1 protease. One can then extend the protease example to a generalized picture of enzymatic processes. The videotape is approximately seven minutes in length. It shows how the protease functions as an enzyme, the role of cleavage enzymes, why the protease is important to HIV, and an explanation of different ways to model a molecule. Short live-action sequences offer illustrations of ideas related to the protease. One example is a demonstration of the function of the enzyme thrombin in blood clotting. The majority of the videotape contains computer animations of the protease, its substrate, and one of its inhibitors. Molecular modeling provided the three-dimensional images used to illustrate the enzymatic workings of the protease. The videotape includes a voice-over that explains the images on the screen. A class-tested instructional manual accompanies the videotape. The manual provides background information on proteins and HIV-1 protease that supplements the material on the videotape. There are renderings of the protease, its substrate, one of its inhibitors, and diagrams that illustrate basic concepts of proteins. These figures are suitable for use as overhead transparencies. The manual includes several student activities that use enzymes from everyday life. Two examples are bromelain, an enzyme in meat tenderizer, and tyrosinase, an enzyme in potatoes. Hardware and Software Requirements This is the first special issue of JCE: Software to include a videotape. It consists of a standard VHS videotape together with written materials that support the tape's use in the classroom. The videotape is closed captioned. Because the video tells a continuous, linear story, the videotape medium is convenient and effective, but we expect eventually to make specific animated sequences available on random-access videodisc as well. A standard VHS VCR and a monitor or projection system that will produce an image large enough for all students to view clearly and will play the audio track are the only hardware items required. Acknowledgement The credits of the videotape HIV-1 Protease: An Enzyme at Work list many of the individuals who assisted in this project. However, we are especially grateful for the help and guidance of Julie Jensen and Kelly Houston Jetzer. These materials were created with support from the Science Education Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Institute for Chemical Education, Project SERAPHIM, and the NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources, grant MDR-9154099. Literature Cited Availability
Available: Now
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Last Updated: August 17, 2001 Created: December 3, 1996 |
Created by: J. L. Holmes Comments to: jceonline@chem.wisc.edu |
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| © 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. | |