Foldit Puzzles

2547: KCNT1 Round 2

KCNT1 is a sodium-activated potassium channel that critically influences how neurons fire. When functioning normally, KCNT1 helps maintain a healthy balance of electrical signaling in the brain. However, mutations in the KCNT1 gene can lead to a range of severe epileptic conditions such as Malignant Migrating Partial Seizures of Infancy (MMPSI).

2545: Refine Density Reconstruction 16

This is a protein we've given before in puzzle 2300, which was Reconstruction Puzzle 39, but now we have the Refine Density tool available to make folds even better!

2546: Revisiting Puzzle 85: Cell Adhesion Protein

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This small domain is part of a larger protein that mediates interactions between other proteins in human development. This protein contains several cysteine residues, but we are modeling them in a reducing environment, so they should NOT form disulfide bonds. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been.

2544: KCNT1 Round 1

KCNT1 is a sodium-activated potassium channel that critically influences how neurons fire. When functioning normally, KCNT1 helps maintain a healthy balance of electrical signaling in the brain. However, mutations in the KCNT1 gene can lead to a range of severe epileptic conditions such as Malignant Migrating Partial Seizures of Infancy (MMPSI).

2541: Unsolved Voltage-gated Ion Channel Cryo-EM Density Puzzle

We are very excited about this puzzle, because while our collaborators have been able to fit a cryoEM map well enough to build an atomic model of this channel (chain A in this puzzle) they have been unable to fit the toxin variant (chain B). We can't wait for you to fit both chains into this cryo-EM map, but especially residues 119-148 (chain B). Please read this blogpost for all the juicy scientific details!

2543: Revisiting Puzzle 84: Giant Anemone

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This toxin, which is released by the sea anemone A. xanthogrammica, disrupts normal contraction of cardiac muscle in potential predators, and furthermore serves as a pheromone to signal danger to nearby anemones. This protein contains six cysteine residues that oxidize to form three disulfide bonds. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been.

2542: KCNQ1 VSD Round 11

KCNQ1 is a critical gene that helps regulate the heart's rhythm by encoding the Kv7.1 potassium ion channel. Mutations in KCNQ1 can cause congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), an inherited heart condition that increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, especially in young people. While previous puzzles have focused on one domain of KCNQ1, in this challenge we're taking a similar but different approach by targeting the Voltage Sensing Domain (VSD) of KCNQ1.

2540: Revisiting Puzzle 83: Cardiotoxin

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This toxin, produced by the Chinese cobra N. atra, induces contracture in skeletal and cardiac muscle. This protein contains eight cysteine residues that oxidize to form four disulfide bonds. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been.

2539: KCNQ1 VSD Round 10

KCNQ1 is a critical gene that helps regulate the heart's rhythm by encoding the Kv7.1 potassium ion channel. Mutations in KCNQ1 can cause congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), an inherited heart condition that increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, especially in young people. While previous puzzles have focused on one domain of KCNQ1, in this challenge we're taking a similar but different approach by targeting the Voltage Sensing Domain (VSD) of KCNQ1.

2538: Refine Density Reconstruction 15

This is a protein we've given before in puzzle 2234, which was Reconstruction Puzzle 18, but now we have the Refine Density tool available to make folds even better!