A coiled coil is a structural motif in proteins, in which 2-7 alpha-helices are coiled together like the strands of a rope (dimers and trimers are the most common types). Many coiled coil type proteins are involved in important biological functions such as the regulation of gene expression e.g. transcription factors. Notable examples are the oncoproteins c-fos and jun, and the muscle protein tropomyosin.
Read more about Coiled Coil: Discovery of Coiled Coils, Molecular Structure of Coiled Coils, Coiled-coil Design
Famous quotes containing the word coiled:
“Now remember courage, go to the door,
Open it and see whether coiled on the bed
Or cringing by the wall, a savage beast
Maybe with golden hair, with deep eyes
Like a bearded spider on a sunlit floor
Will snarl—and man can never be alone.”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)