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Nature Chemical Biology 2, 123–124 (1 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/nchembio0306-123

Lifting the lid on helix-capping

George D Rose

The Pauling-Corey-Branson α-helix is the one protein structure every introductory biochemistry student knows in detail. It's an especially thermodynamically favorable structure, so why do such helices terminate instead of propagating? In fact, a long helix would protrude from the typical globular protein like a dislocated limb.