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Building Life A polymerase enzyme in the very act of replicating DNA. The unzipped strand comes from upper right, on the left an incoming nucleotide is ready to be added to it, and the new double strand emerges at bottom. The glass piece is a heavy 3 1/4" cube, with the DNA shown as a wireframe model and the enzyme as ribbons, with a translucent molecular surface outlining its form.
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Data for this sculpture comes from the Protein Data Bank, where it has code 1JX4, and was submitted in 2001 by Drs. Ling, Boudsocq, Woodgate, and Yang. This particular polymerase specializes in damaged DNA: it doesn't give the best fidelity for a perfect strand, but it can work through some types of lesion that would stop a normal polymerase. It comes from an archaean organism, Sulfolobus solfataricus, that lives in volcanic hot springs – an extreme environment where it's easy for big molecules to get damaged.
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The DNA Polymerase Crystal comes with clear rubber feet to prevent
scratches on your desk or mantel. I recommend the lighted stand;
without one it works best against a dark background.
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Biological Nanomachines
For anyone who loves life science, the DNA Polymerase Crystal offers a look
into biomolecular structure: a research-quality model of an essential,
universal, and beautiful protein.
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