Developing protein structure figures

Scientific figures not only complement articles but can enhance them. In this third TrendsTalk of the Special series: Scientific figure development, previous TIBS authors focus on different approaches to creating protein structure figures, considering questions such as: how do you decide how to represent your protein structure? What programs do you prefer and why? What aspects do you consider when generating a protein structure figure? Contributing to this article are Clemens Grimm, co-corresponding author of 'Cytoplasmic gene expression: lessons from poxviruses' [1] (Figure 2, for example); Bin Liu, corresponding author of 'Roles of zinc-binding domain of bacterial RNA polymerase in transcription' [2] (Figure 2 and others); Vanessa Flegler, first author of 'More than just closed and open: unraveling a mechanosensor' [3] (Figure 1); and Jeong Joo Kim, first author of 'Direct structural insights into GABAA receptor pharmacology' [4] (Figure 3)

Automated summary

Scientific figures are important in complementing and enhancing articles. This article discusses different approaches to creating protein structure figures and addresses questions about representation choices, preferred programs, and factors to consider when generating protein structure figures.