Boerdijk-Coxeter helix and biological helices

Citation
Jf. Sadoc et N. Rivier, Boerdijk-Coxeter helix and biological helices, EUR PHY J B, 12(2), 1999, pp. 309-318
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL B
ISSN journal
14346028 → ACNP
Volume
12
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
309 - 318
Database
ISI
SICI code
1434-6028(199911)12:2<309:BHABH>2.0.ZU;2-P
Abstract
Helices and dense packing. of spherical objects are two closely related pro blems. For instance, the Boerdijk-Coxeter helix, which is obtained as a lin ear packing of regular tetrahedra, is a very efficient solution to some clo se-packing problems. The shapes of biological helices result from various k inds of interaction forces, including steric repulsion. Thus, the search fo r a maximum density can lead to structures related to thf Boerdijk-Coxeter helix. Examples are presented for the alpha-helix structure in proteins and for the structure of the protein collagen, but there are other examples of helical packings at different scales in biology. Models based on packing e fficiency related to the Boerdijk-Coxeter helix, explain, mainly from topol ogical arguments, why the number of amino acids per turn is close to 3.6 in alpha-helices and 2.7 in collagen.