JCE Online Journal of Chemical Education
 | Subscriptions  | Software Orders  | Support  | Contributors  | Advertisers  | 

JCE Print
   Current Issue
 Previous Issues
 Supplements
 Search JCE Index

JCE Digital Library
   DigiDemos
 QBank
 SymMath
 WebWare

JCE Software
   Latest Releases
 Software & Video
 Downloads
 Support

Only@JCE Online
   JCE Online Store
 JCE HS CLIC
 JCE Discussion Forums
   Biographical Snapshots
 ChemEd Resource Shelf
 Featured Molecules
 Hal's Picks
 Project Chemlab
 Reviewed WWW Sites
 "Web-Ed" Articles

About JCE
   Features
 Publications
 Operations
 Outreach
 Contact Us


  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2000  > November  >
In the Classroom
Concepts in Biochemistry
Teaching Noncovalent Interactions in the Biochemistry Curriculum through Molecular Visualization: The Search for p Interactions
James R. Cox
Department of Chemistry, Murray State University, Murray, KY 42071-3346
Cover
November 2000
Vol. 77 No. 11
p. 1424
Abstract
Teaching students how proteins adopt a stable three-dimensional structure is a major goal in the biochemistry curriculum. Inherent in this task is the introduction of the structure of the amino acids and the various types of noncovalent interactions. When these two topics are taught together, the students gain a better appreciation for the importance of noncovalent interactions in stabilizing the structure of proteins and protein complexes. Biochemistry textbooks have not recognized the ability of aromatic amino acids to participate in p interactions with other amino acids and the role of these interactions in protein stability. To introduce these ideas, RasMol, a molecular visualization program, was used by students to search for specific examples of noncovalent interactions in a variety of protein structures. The students found examples of the traditional weak interactions as well as examples of stabilizing interactions involving aromatic amino acids. These interactions are described in this report and can be viewed at an accompanying Web site. This work clearly demonstrates that p-type interactions help stabilize the structure and complexes of many proteins and that such interactions should be integrated into the biochemistry curriculum.

Featured on the Cover
More Information
*  Citation
 Cox, James R. J. Chem. Educ. 2000 77 1424.
*  Keywords
 Amino Acids; Biochemistry; Intermolecular Forces; Proteins / Peptides; Teaching / Learning Aids
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 October 6, 2000
April 15, 2005
LInk to Cover added (April 2004).
<< Previous Article Table of Contents Next Article >>
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2000 > November > Page 1424


Subscriptions
 Subscription Info
 Order Forms

JCE HS CLIC

Our Secondary School editors work hard to distill all the JCE materials to produce a fraction of particular interest to high school teachers. We call it CLIC.
 JCE HS CLIC

Contributions Welcome
JCE welcomes your submission
 Contributors' Corner

Advertisers
In recent years we have worked hard to better match our advertisers with our readers. When shopping for chemistry education materials, visit our advertisers' WWW sites first.
 Recent Advertisers

Be An Ambassador
Take JCE along on your outreach missions. Copies of the Journal, guest access to JCE Online, our publications catalog, and more are available for your participants.
 Outreach with JCE

Comments to
jceonline@chem.wisc.edu		 Copyright © Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society.
All rights reserved.