A-helix preferences

The SPLIT algorithm was optimized for predicting transmembrane a-helices by using the Kyte-Doolittle hydropathy scale to create profile of a-helix preferences. The digital version of prediction for transmembrane a-helices is designated as the TMH predictor. Predicted profile of P-strand preferences can be used to find sequence location of potential membrane-embedded or surface-attached P-strands. The score for potential membrane-attached P-strand... 

Figure 3 Score profiles for cxlbjarde (Figure 3A) and for cox3 parde (Figure 3B) of cytochrome oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans [14] are obtained by substraction of turn preferences from a-helix preferences (full line). Digital predictions, as outcome of the best training procedure for the SPLIT algorithm with Kyte-Doolittle hydropathy scale (Methods), are shown as bold horizontal bars at the score level 0.5. Observed location of TMH segments are shown as bold horizontal bars at the score level 0.2.

Zhang L and J Hermans 1994. 3io-Helix versus a-Helix A Molecular Dynamics Studv of Conformational Preferences of Aib and Alanine. Journal of the American Chemical Society 116 11915-11921. 

Different side chains have been found to have weak but definite preferences either for or against being in a helices. Thus Ala (A), Glu (E), Leu (L), and Met (M) are good a-helix formers, while Pro (P), Gly (G), Tyr (Y), and Ser (S) are very poor. Such preferences were central to all early attempts to predict secondary structure from amino acid sequence, but they are not strong enough to give accurate predictions. 

With 3.6 residues per turn, side chains protrude from the a-helix at about every 100° in azimuth. Since the commonest location for a helix is along the outside of the protein, there is a tendency for side chains to change from hydrophobic to hydrophilic with a periodicity of three to four residues (Schiffer and Edmundson, 1967). This trend can sometimes be seen in the sequence, but it is not strong enough for reliable prediction by itself. Different residues have weak but definite preferences either for or against being in a-helix Ala, Glu, Leu,... 

Many scorpion toxins, insect defensins, and enzyme inhibitors are cystine-rich polypeptides containing three to four disulfide bonds. In a large number of these toxins, two cystines are involved in the consensus Cys-(Xaa)1-Cys/Cys-(Xaa)3-Cys framework which is responsible for the common characteristic fold consisting of an a-helix and a two- or three-stranded antiparallel (3-sheet (a 3 3-fold or 3a 3 3-fold). For a review see ref[69]. The overall compact globular structures of these cystine-rich peptides contain the cystine stabilized a-helix motif (Section 6.1.5.1.2) which is further stabilized by a third disulfide bond between the N-terminus and the (3-strand adjacent to the helix and in some cases by an additional fourth disulfide bridge. Due to the presence of the cystine stabilized a-helix motif, a preferred initial formation of this motif followed by its stabilization via the additional disulfides was expected. However, in contrast to what was observed for the cystine peptides containing only the cystine stabilized a-helix motif, simple air oxidation is not successful. 

There is another source of flexibility in polypeptide helices. It is the thermal fluctuations of bond rotation angles about their preferred a-helix values. This effect occurs without destroying the overall helical structure of the molecule and will become more important at higher temperature. 

In general, Ala is more stable in the middle positions of an a helix because it buries more solvent-accessible surface area, but Gly is preferred at the ends because it allows greater exposure for solvation. This is more noticeable at the N-terminus because the side chain points backward along a helix. 

Thus, the Phe analogue coiled coil Fc is less stable than the Leu analogue coiled coil Lc (Figure 3) this reflects the preferred hydrophobic interactions of Leu compared to Phe. Thus, the difference between the retention time of the single-stranded amphipathic a-helix and its respective two-stranded oxidized coiled coil is less for peptide F than for peptide L, since the coiled-coil structure of the former (F ) is unfolded to a greater extent than that of the latter (L ) by the hydrophobic stationary phase and, hence, exposes more of its hydro-phobic surface area to the RP matrix. 

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