Placeholder image of a protein
Icon representing a puzzle

1794: CRISPR-Cas Transposase Part I: Electron Density

Closed since about 6 years ago

Advanced Overall Prediction Electron Density

Summary

Created
January 31, 2020
Expires
Max points
100
Description

Fold the transposase protein into a density map! This is a followup to Puzzle 1784: CRISPR-Cas Transposase Part I, now with a cryo-EM density map! Players may load in previous work from Puzzle 1784.



CRISPR-Cas is a mixed complex of RNA and proteins, which work together to make a very precise cut in a cell's DNA. Scientists recently discovered a variant of CRISPR-Cas that coopts a new protein called a transposase. In addition to cutting DNA, the transposase also allows precise insertion of new material into a target DNA strand. This new variant could lead to more efficient gene editing with CRISPR-Cas! New cryoEM experiments have shed some light on the transposase structure, which was previously unknown.



We're asking Foldit players to help solve how this transposase protein folds! The transposase is a large 400-residue protein, so this puzzle only includes the first half of the protein, and we will post the second half of the protein in a follow-up puzzle. In this puzzle we've provided only the portion of density for this half of the transposase protein.



Sequence:

MFLQRPKPYSDESLESFFIRVANKNGYGDVHRFLEATKRFLQDIDHNGYQTFPTDITRINPYSAKNSSSARTASFLKLAQLTFNEPPELLGLAINRTNMKYSPSTSAVVRGAEVFPRSLLRTHSIPCCPLCLRENGYASYLWHFQGYEYCHSHNVPLITTCSCGKEFDYRVSGLKGICCKCKEPITLT

Top groups

  1. Avatar for Void Crushers 11. Void Crushers 1 pt. 14,059
  2. Avatar for Team New Zealand 12. Team New Zealand 1 pt. 10,861
  3. Avatar for Team South Africa 13. Team South Africa 1 pt. 8,958
  4. Avatar for Italiani Al Lavoro 14. Italiani Al Lavoro 1 pt. 7,785
  5. Avatar for Trinity Biology 15. Trinity Biology 1 pt. 6,586
  6. Avatar for Freedom Folders 16. Freedom Folders 1 pt. 3,669
  7. Avatar for GUGITBIOTECH 17. GUGITBIOTECH 1 pt. 0
  1. Avatar for ManVsYard 51. ManVsYard Lv 1 11 pts. 14,058
  2. Avatar for WBarme1234 52. WBarme1234 Lv 1 10 pts. 14,021
  3. Avatar for Squirrely 53. Squirrely Lv 1 10 pts. 13,886
  4. Avatar for bobcat 54. bobcat Lv 1 9 pts. 13,859
  5. Avatar for rinze 55. rinze Lv 1 9 pts. 13,845
  6. Avatar for pvc78 56. pvc78 Lv 1 8 pts. 13,830
  7. Avatar for diamonddays 57. diamonddays Lv 1 8 pts. 13,698
  8. Avatar for Vinara 58. Vinara Lv 1 7 pts. 13,527
  9. Avatar for pascal ochem 59. pascal ochem Lv 1 7 pts. 13,455
  10. Avatar for wosser1 60. wosser1 Lv 1 7 pts. 13,402

Comments

Merf Lv 1

I wonder if these comments are actually monitored. Perhaps the powers
that be at Foldit just couldn't care less! Hmmm, a tricky one.

Merf.

bkoep Staff Lv 1

Not sure why the scoreboards are having trouble with these CRISPR puzzles… Still haven't been able to track down the issue

bkoep Staff Lv 1

We want to do a quick first pass on both parts of this protein in just a couple weeks. If it seems like there is more to be done after that, we can post follow-ups with more time (and with sharing enabled from previous puzzles).

alwen Lv 1

So frustrating! All those large sidechains (tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan) and I can hardly pick out a one!

horowsah Staff Lv 1

It's an issue with the underlying cryoEM data… this is the best that could be done in the experiment. When the data isn't great, it makes things hard.