Introduction to Bioinformatics - Lecture 1

Proteins perform many function essential for life. The building blocks of the proteins are the 20 naturally occurring amino acids. In the first lecture, we have considered the structure of amino acids and proteins.
Here is the contents:

• Chemical structure of amino acids.
• Condensation reaction to establish linear chains of amino acids.
• Backbone structure of proteins.
• Peptide bond between neighboring residues in a linear chain of amino acids.
• Structure of the protein crambin from Crambe abyssinica.
• Side chains of amino acids.
• Geometry of proteins: bond lengths and angles, dihedral angles.
• Ramachandran plots and distance maps.
• Conformations - thermodynamic hypothesis of Anfinsen.
• Secondary structures: helices and sheets.
• Proteins in a watery compartment: hydrophobic core, globular form.
• Quaternary structures (deoxy human hemoglobin).
• Example: Penicillin amidase.