Sidechain

From FoldIt Wiki

[edit] Basics

Proteins are formed from a sequence of only 20 Amino Acids (named because they have an NH2 (amine) group on one end and carboxylic acid group (COOH) on the other end. The only difference between the various amino acids is their different side chains (labeled R) that attach at the middle Carbon of each amino acid.

Each sidechain determines with what other chemicals a protein will interact and how. Sidechains also interact with each other, fundamentally determining the three-dimensional structure of the proteins they constitute. One very important aspect of sidechain function is hydrophobicity, which is how a sidechain interacts with water molecules.

In FoldIt, sidechains have the appearance of geometric shapes made of short cylinders, which represent the chemical structure of their non-hydrogen elements. These may be very short, like the single carbon sidechain of alanine, or even invisible, as in glycine. At the other end of the spectrum, they can be comparatively large and complex, like the hexagon+pentagon sidechain of tryptophan. Sidechains can be manipulated directly by pulling with the mouse, or by using the Shake Sidechains tool. They may also adjust themselves during various actions.

Sidechain Position is one key element of FoldIt Strategy, so important that it has its own article!