Foldit Puzzles

2718: SF-1 Round 1

SF-1 (steroidogenic factor-1) is a nuclear receptor that helps control hormone balance by regulating genes involved in steroid production. Because SF-1 sits at the center of these pathways, adjusting its activity has strong therapeutic potential: SF-1 has been linked to obesity and metabolic dysfunction, plays important roles in reproduction, and is a proposed therapeutic target for endometriosis. SF-1 is also associated with several cancers—including the rare and aggressive adrenocortical carcinoma—making it a compelling but challenging drug target.

2717: Electron Density Reconstruction 154

The structure of this protein has already been solved and published, but close inspection suggests that there are some problems with the published solution. We'd like to see if Foldit players can use the same electron density data to reconstruct a better model.This puzzle comes from PDB entry 2NTZ, and has a few pieces of DNA in addition to protein.

2716: Revisiting Puzzle 70: Nucleosome Protein

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This protein domain is a component of the histone protein complex, which packages DNA into compact units called nucleosomes. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been.

2715: LRH-1 Round 1

LRH-1 (liver receptor homologue-1) is a nuclear receptor that helps control how the body balances fat and sugar metabolism by turning specific genes on and off. Because of this central role, tuning LRH-1 activity has shown therapeutic promise: synthetic compounds that modulate LRH-1 can reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes in mouse models. LRH-1 is also implicated in multiple cancers, making it an important, but notoriously difficult, drug target.

2714: Electron Density Reconstruction 153

The structure of this protein has already been solved and published, but close inspection suggests that there are some problems with the published solution. We'd like to see if Foldit players can use the same electron density data to reconstruct a better model. It's big, so the Trim tool is recommended. This puzzle comes from PDB entry 2J42. You may find it amusing to check out the title of this particular PDB entry on its webpage: https://www.rcsb.org/structure/2J42

2713: Revisiting Puzzle 69: Scorpion Toxin

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This scorpion toxin binds to voltage-gated ion channels in insects, resulting in full-body paralysis. The 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.

2712: NaV1.7 Round 14

Note: Due to an issue with the Compound Library, competition points have been removed from this puzzle. This puzzle will be reposted as Puzzle 2700b. Players may save solutions from this puzzle and load them into the reposted puzzle.

2711: Electron Density Reconstruction 152

The structure of this protein has already been solved and published, but close inspection suggests that there are some problems with the published solution. We'd like to see if Foldit players can use the same electron density data to reconstruct a better model. This puzzle comes from PDB entry 2ING.

2710: Revisiting Puzzle 68: Bos Taurus

This is a throwback puzzle to the early days of Foldit. This cow protein, found in epithelial cells of the intestine, binds calcium as it moves from the digestive tract into the blood. We are revisiting old Foldit puzzles so we can see how useful the recent additions to the game have been.

2709: NaV1.7 Round 13

NaV1.7 is a voltage-gated sodium channel that plays a key role in the generation and propagation of action potentials, especially in neurons involved in pain signaling. Genetic studies have revealed that loss-of-function mutations in NaV1.7 can result in congenital insensitivity to pain, while gain-of-function mutations are associated with severe, painful disorders. This makes NaV1.7 a promising therapeutic target for the development of non-addictive painkillers—a much-needed alternative to current opioid-based treatments.