Janet Iwasa

HIV Life Cycle    |    Janet Iwasa

How does HIV infection occur? This molecular animation depicts the process of how HIV infects a T cell and transforms the cell into a viral factory.

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Early Events in Reovirus Entry    |    Gaël McGill, Janet Iwasa

A more in-depth look at the early events of reovirus entry. This current version highlights each of the 8 proteins that make up the virus as well as its icosahedral symmetry. The virus is activated upon trypsin ‘attack’ and cleavage of the outer protein layer. The virus then binds to and enters the cell via the JAM-1 receptor and clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

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Dengue Virus Entry    |    Digizyme, Gaël McGill, Janet Iwasa, Michael Astrachan, XVIVO

A narrated animation depicting the events that lead to Dengue virus entry into a host cell. In particular, rearrangements and conformational changes in the Dengue glycoprotein E are shown. These lead to membrane fusion and subsequent release of the viral payload into the host cell cytoplasm. Created for WGBH.

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Clathrin Mediated Receptor Endocytosis    |    Janet Iwasa

Dynamics of Lck in the T cell synapse – Upon T cell activation, clusters of signaling proteins form microdomains in the cell membrane. Some proteins, like the tyrosine kinase Lck (white) can freely diffuse between these clusters. Interactions between Lck and proteins in the signalling cluster can cause Lck to become immobilized.

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Proteasome    |    Janet Iwasa

This Maya animation provides an introduction to proteasome structure as well as an explanation for proteasome-mediated degradation of a target protein (including potential “wobble” of the regulatory particle as it interacts with the core particle).

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Hemoglobin    |    Janet Iwasa

A series of short movies decribing the structure of hemoglobin and the conformational changes that accompany binding of oxygen. Page also includes other useful resources.

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Vesicle Entry of Adenosine Mono-Phosphate    |    Janet Iwasa

Polar molecules such as AMP may enter fatty acid vesicles through interactions between the fatty acid head groups and the small molecule.

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Fatty Acid Vesicle Dynamics    |    Janet Iwasa

Although the vesicle structure itself as a whole is extremely stable, individual fatty acids within vesicles are extremely dynamic and are constantly joining and leaving the vesicle membrane. Protonated fatty acids (shown by the glowing hydrogen in the head group and the lighter colored tail) readily flip between the inner and outer leaflets of the membrane.

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Fatty Acid Vesicle Formation    |    Janet Iwasa

De novo vesicle formation from fatty acid micelles – Protons are represented by the small glowing spheres. Upon protonation, the micelle structure becomes more fluid and may allow for larger numbers of micelles to join together. Vesicle formation occurs by chance after the fatty acid sheet has reached a threshold surface area.

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Fatty Acid Formation in a Geyser    |    Janet Iwasa

This animation illustrates a theoretical means by which fatty acids may have been synthesized along the sides of mineral walls of hydrothermal vents or (in this case) a geyser.

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Yeast Mating Pathway    |    Janet Iwasa

A 3D nimation depicting the step by step signaling transduction process of the mating pathway in yeast.

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