PDB data for a human α1β2γ2 GABA A receptor

February 15, 2016 6:15 PM

Bathsheba Grossman is an American sculptor, notable in part for mathematically and biologically inspired sculptures printed in metal. Another line of artwork consists of mathematical and biological data etched in glass. I have seen the results of the process up close and they are striking. I would like to find data to make a laser etching of a human α1β2γ2 GABA A receptor. I have done a bit of Googling around, but most of the PDB files I have been able to find are just for associated proteins. Does anyone have an idea of where I might be able to find the right sort of data for the whole receptor?
posted by sindark to Science & Nature (4 answers total)

I'm open to being wrong on this because this is definitely not my specialty, but it might not actually exist. Protein structure from a PDB file is generally obtained from crystallizing the protein, a process which is notoriously difficult for membrane proteins (e.g. the class of proteins that receptors are). This receptor also happens to be composed of a huge number of subsidiary proteins, as you can see here there are a zilion subunits. Its size and complexity would also make it harder to crystallize and get a protein structure. As you can see here, there is no listed experimental crystal structure for at least two of the subunits that I checked, but there is a "prediction" of what it might look like, however, my understanding is that a lot of these predictions may be imperfect.
posted by permiechickie at 6:49 PM on February 15, 2016 [5 favorites]

Did you come across PDB 4COF yet? Failing that, 2BG9 (although not of GABAAR, but rather of nAChR) is pretty close.
posted by un petit cadeau at 6:56 PM on February 15, 2016

permiechickie has given almost exactly the answer I would give you. Getting structure info for proteins still takes lots of time, effort, and more than a small amount of luck sometimes. There are plenty of "well known" receptors that still only have small domains with solved structures.
posted by deludingmyself at 6:10 AM on February 16, 2016

Response by poster: I have been able to find some graphic representations online: A, B

Could any of this be made into a format suitable for this laser process?
posted by sindark at 4:52 PM on February 17, 2016