Sentences with phrase «alpha helices»
An alpha helix refers to a specific shape or structure that proteins can adopt. It looks like a twisted coil or spiral staircase and is formed by a chain of amino acids. Alpha helices play a crucial role in the structure and function of proteins, providing stability and allowing them to perform their specific jobs in the body. Full definition
The structures of the alpha and beta subunits are similar, consisting of a core of two antiparallel beta sheets that is flanked by alpha helices on both sides.
science.sciencemag.org
CPEB proteins, when made in cells, first bind a few at a time in oligomers, which are coiled alpha helices.
Many scientists consider a structure known as the beta turn part of secondary structure, even though the older techniques used to identify alpha helices and beta sheets can not detect it.
Here's the difference: In nature, proteins are composed of beta sheets and alpha helices.
Consider chemist Linus Pauling, who described the alpha helix structure of proteins in 1951.
«You look at changes in chemical shift and that tells you, for example, if there is an alpha helix or a beta sheet, which are two different conformations that a protein backbone often takes,» Frederick says.