twohelix

Twohelix is a computational tool designed for the analysis of protein structures. It focuses on identifying and characterizing coiled-coil structures within protein molecules. Coiled-coils are common structural motifs found in many proteins, often playing crucial roles in protein-protein interactions, DNA binding, and the formation of larger protein assemblies.

The primary function of twohelix is to predict the presence and geometry of coiled-coil regions from a given protein sequence or three-dimensional structure. It utilizes algorithms that analyze patterns in amino acid sequences and structural parameters to identify the characteristic helical packing and repeat units associated with coiled-coils. The tool can also provide quantitative measures of coiled-coil properties, such as the number of heptad repeats, the pitch of the helix, and the inter-helical angle.

By offering insights into these structural features, twohelix aids researchers in understanding the functional implications of coiled-coil domains. This can be valuable in areas such as protein design, drug discovery, and the study of protein evolution. The software typically accepts protein data in standard formats like PDB files for structural input and provides its results in easily interpretable outputs, facilitating its integration into broader bioinformatics workflows.