Molecular Machinery

Molecular
Machinery

Every cell runs on millions of protein machines. Explore its turbines, walkers, assemblers and pumps in 3D.

Open ATP synthase Explore all machines

Three machines run their cycles: the ribosome, GroEL–GroES and ATP synthase, each drawn from Protein Data Bank structures.

Inside the cell

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Explore machines

ATP synthase, rendered from PDB coordinates
Rotary motors
ATP synthase
A proton-driven rotary motor that makes most of the cell's ATP
Bacterial flagellar motor, rendered from PDB coordinates
Rotary motors
Bacterial flagellar motor
An ion-driven, reversible rotary motor that turns the bacterial flagellum
Kinesin, rendered from PDB coordinates
Walkers and crawlers
Kinesin
Walks toward the microtubule plus end in 8 nm steps, one ATP per step
Myosin, rendered from PDB coordinates
Walkers and crawlers
Myosin
Swings a lever arm on actin to pull filaments and haul cargo
Dynein, rendered from PDB coordinates
Walkers and crawlers
Dynein
A ring of six ATPases that walks to the microtubule minus end
Ribosome, rendered from PDB coordinates
Readers and writers
Ribosome
Reads mRNA and builds the matching protein chain
RNA polymerase II, rendered from PDB coordinates
Readers and writers
RNA polymerase II
Copies a DNA gene into messenger RNA, one base at a time
GroEL–GroES, rendered from PDB coordinates
Folding
GroEL–GroES
An ATP-driven cage that holds one protein while it folds
Proteasome, rendered from PDB coordinates
Recycling
Proteasome
An ATP-driven shredder that pulls tagged proteins apart
SERCA calcium pump, rendered from PDB coordinates
Pumps
SERCA calcium pump
Burns one ATP to push two calcium ions out of the cytoplasm
Hemoglobin, rendered from PDB coordinates
Switches
Hemoglobin
Four-part oxygen carrier that loads and unloads as a single switch
Cas9, rendered from PDB coordinates
Defence and editing
Cas9
RNA-guided nuclease that finds one DNA sequence and cuts both strands