Homework 2: (Due Thursday, 09/13)

 

We define the distance between two structures as the norm of the vector differences.

The distance between protein structures with coordinate vectors coor1(:,1:3) and coor2(:,1:3) is norm(coor1-coor2). In this exercise we compute the distances between different representations of the same protein. Your report should include the programs, plots and explanations of the results as requested below.

 

  1. Extract the coordinates of the protein 1LAP from the protein data bank
  2. Read the CA coordinates of this protein. Plot the chain of the CA-s and the contact matrix. Assign secondary structures. You may also use the plot3 facility.
  3. Instead of the CA-s it is possible to read the N atoms. Modify the code to read the N-s instead of the CA-s. Be careful not to lose any N! Stored the coordinates in a different array from the CA array. Compute the distance between the N vector representation of the protein chain and the CA vector of the protein. Repeat the process after placing the geometric centers of the two protein presentations at the origin. Any changes after the shifts of the geometric centers?