Alpha helix
From Proteopedia
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In an alpha helix, the main chain arranges in a <scene name='77/778341/Ribbon/1'>right-handed helix</scene> with the side chains (green) pointing away from the helical axis. The alpha helix is stabilized by <scene name='77/778341/Hbonds/2'>hydrogen bonds</scene> from amino acid n to n+4. There are <scene name='77/778341/Wheel/1'>3.6 residues per turn</scene>. If you <jmol> | In an alpha helix, the main chain arranges in a <scene name='77/778341/Ribbon/1'>right-handed helix</scene> with the side chains (green) pointing away from the helical axis. The alpha helix is stabilized by <scene name='77/778341/Hbonds/2'>hydrogen bonds</scene> from amino acid n to n+4. There are <scene name='77/778341/Wheel/1'>3.6 residues per turn</scene>. If you <jmol> | ||
<jmolLink> | <jmolLink> | ||
| - | <script> select visible; var a = [ | + | <script> select visible; var a = [20%, 30%, 50%, 80%, 100%]; for(var i IN a) {spacefill @i; delay 0.4;} |
</script> | </script> | ||
<text>increase the sphere radii</text> | <text>increase the sphere radii</text> | ||
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[The previous scenes were inspired by a beautiful set of figures in Stryer's biochemistry textbook (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22580/figure/A322/?report=objectonly).] | [The previous scenes were inspired by a beautiful set of figures in Stryer's biochemistry textbook (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22580/figure/A322/?report=objectonly).] | ||
| - | Apart from the characteristic hydrogen bonding patters, the other identifying feature of alpha helices are the main chain torsion angles phi and psi. If you plot phi against psi for each residue (so-called Ramachandran plot), you find that the phi/psi combination found in alpha helices fall into one of the three "allowed" (i.e. observed) areas for non-glycine residues. For a more detailed explanation, see [[Ramachandran Plot]] or http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS95/course/3_geometry/rama.html. | + | Apart from the characteristic hydrogen bonding patters, the other identifying feature of alpha helices are the main chain torsion angles <jmol> |
| + | <jmolLink> | ||
| + | <script> select visible; draw rama | ||
| + | </script> | ||
| + | <text>phi and psi</text> | ||
| + | </jmolLink> | ||
| + | </jmol>. If you plot phi against psi for each residue (so-called Ramachandran plot), you find that the phi/psi combination found in alpha helices fall into one of the three "allowed" (i.e. observed) areas for non-glycine residues. For a more detailed explanation, see [[Ramachandran Plot]] or http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS95/course/3_geometry/rama.html. | ||
'''Which amino acids are found in alpha helices?''' | '''Which amino acids are found in alpha helices?''' | ||
Revision as of 20:27, 16 January 2018
Contents |
Structure and hydrogen bonding
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Types of proteins and folds that contain alpha helices
Alpha helices in soluble (globular) proteins
Example: myoglobin Example: helical DNA binding domains
Alpha helices in transmembrane proteins
A common fold found in transmembrane proteins are alpha-helical bundles running from one side to the other side of the membrane. An alpha helix of 19 amino acids (with a length of about 30 angstroms) has the right size to cross the double-layer of a typical membrane. If the helix runs at an angle instead of perfectly perpendicular to the membrane, it has to be a bit longer. There is a write-up on opioid receptiors that illustrates this fold in the Molecule of the Month series by David Goodsell (http://pdb101.rcsb.org/motm/217).
Alpha helices in coiled coils
Experimental evidence
a) CD spectroscopy http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS2/course/section8/ss-960531_21.html
b) NMR chemical shifts
Role of alpha helices in the history of structural biology
a) Pauling predicts it http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.12796/full
b) Determination of hand: There are several methods in X-ray crystallography where crystallographers obtain an electron density, but don't know whether it or its mirror image is correct. Historically, finding electron density that fits a helix was used to break this ambiguity. If the helix was right-handed, the electron density was used as is, but if the helix was left-handed, the mirror image was used.
c) Tracing the chain: When building a model into electron density, the first step was to place contiguous C-alpha atoms into the density (with proper spacing). To see in which direction an alpha helix goes, you look at the side chain density. If it points up, the N-terminus is on top, otherwise on the bottom. (search for Christmas tree in http://www-structmed.cimr.cam.ac.uk/Course/Fitting/fittingtalk.html)
