Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Coiled coil
A coiled coil is a structural motif found in many proteins. It consists of 2-5 alpha-helices that are coiled together like the strands of a rope. Dimers and trimers are the most common ones. Coiled coils usually containt a repeated seven residue pattern called heptad repeats .
Coiled coils are held together by hydrophobic forces. When two or more alpha-helices have repeating patterns of hydrophobic amino acid side chains, the most favorable way for them to conform in the water-filled environment of the cytoplasm is to wrap the hydrophobic strands against each other sandwiched between the hydrophylic amino acids.
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details