Teaching the structure of immunoglobulins by molecular visualization and SDS-PAGE analysis.
This laboratory class combines molecular visualization and laboratory experimentation to teach the structure of the immunoglobulins (Ig). In the first part of the class, the three-dimensional structures of the human IgG and IgM molecules available through the RCSB PDB database are visualized using freely available software. In the second part, IgG and IgM are studied using electrophoretic methods. Through SDS-PAGE analysis under reducing conditions, the students determine the number and molecular masses of the polypeptide chains, while through SDS-PAGE under nonreducing conditions, the students assess the oligomerization of these Ig molecules. The aims of this class are to expand upon the knowledge and understanding of the Ig structure that the students have gained from classroom lectures. The combination of this molecular visualization of the Ig molecules and the SDS-PAGE experimentation ensures variety in the teaching techniques, while the implication of the Ig molecules in human disease promotes interest for biomedical students.
Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Tea Lanišnik
TL
Rižner
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013663:Teaching
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
IgG; IgM; immunoglobulin fold