What is the significance of Ramachandran plot in the study of proteins
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Significance of the Ramachandran Plot in Protein Studies
Thesis Statement
The Ramachandran plot is a crucial tool in structural biology that provides insights into the conformational preferences of amino acids in proteins, helping researchers understand protein folding, stability, and functionality.
Introduction
The Ramachandran plot, introduced by G.N. Ramachandran and his colleagues in 1963, is a graphical representation that plots the phi (φ) and psi (ψ) dihedral angles of amino acid residues in protein structures. It plays a vital role in the analysis of protein conformation, allowing scientists to visualize the sterically allowed and disallowed regions for these angles. This understanding is essential for elucidating the relationship between protein structure and function.
Understanding Dihedral Angles
In proteins, the overall 3D structure is dictated primarily by the backbone conformation, characterized by the φ and ψ angles:
– Phi (φ) Angle: The angle around the N-Cα bond.
– Psi (ψ) Angle: The angle around the Cα-C bond.
The combination of these angles influences the secondary structures (such as alpha helices and beta sheets) within proteins. The Ramachandran plot visually represents these combinations, illustrating regions where specific conformations are energetically favorable.
Significance of the Ramachandran Plot
1. Identification of Allowed Regions
– The plot delineates areas corresponding to common secondary structures. For example, the area representing alpha helices and beta sheets is highlighted, indicating that residues in these structures favor specific angles. This helps researchers predict which conformations are likely to occur in a given protein.
2. Assessment of Protein Structure Quality
– In structural biology, particularly in X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy, the Ramachandran plot serves as a quality control tool. A high percentage of residues falling into allowed regions indicates a well-folded protein structure, whereas outliers may suggest errors in model building or unusual conformations.
3. Understanding Protein Folding and Stability
– Analyzing how different amino acids adopt specific φ and ψ values can provide insights into protein folding mechanisms. It can also highlight how interactions between residues stabilize certain conformations, which is crucial for understanding protein dynamics and function.
4. Comparative Analysis of Protein Structures
– The Ramachandran plot allows for the comparison of different proteins or different states of the same protein. By examining shifts in φ and ψ angles across various conditions, researchers can gain insights into how structural changes relate to functional alterations.
5. Facilitating Computational Modeling
– In computational biology, the Ramachandran plot is used to develop molecular dynamics simulations and predict how proteins fold. It acts as a reference for validating predicted structures against known conformational data.
Conclusion
The Ramachandran plot is an indispensable tool in the study of proteins, offering valuable insights into their structural properties and functional implications. By clearly illustrating the relationships between dihedral angles and allowed conformations, it enhances our understanding of protein folding, stability, and interactions. As research continues to advance in structural biology, the Ramachandran plot will remain central to elucidating the complexities of protein structure and function.
