Upcoming ligand binding puzzle!

[austinday]

Hi Folditeers!!

We have an upcoming Foldit puzzle where we are again attempting to bind a biotin molecule! I hope you all didn't miss it too much! In this puzzle, we have introduced indicators to help the players make more ideal hydrogen bonding angles. For this specific ligand, we're asking for 3 hydrogen bonds to be made with the oxygen at the "business end" of the ligand. (The side that is directed into the scaffold). Here is an example of what the near ideal angles should look like:

We aren't so much interested with hydrogen bonds being made to the linker portions of the ligand. (Everything that is not at the business end of the ligand) But the more the better!

I hope you guys can come up with some interesting solutions! If you can make a good enough solution, we'll make the protein and tell you if it works! (Should take about a month from time of order) And if it works, we'll put you on the resulting paper!

[steveB]

I have some very strange triangles on my screen in this puzzle. They are obviously not graphics errors as they have an animated sweeping arm. I guess that it is some sort of device to assist in lining up the bonds.

Should I try to guess how to use this or will there be an explanation forthcoming ? Is it actualy a tool, or is it an error ? Am I going crazy and seeing things (wouldn't surprise me)?

Any helpful advice would be appreciated.

[Seth Cooper]

Those lines show up around any "unideal" hydrogen bonds. They show an angle between atoms that are forming the bond that is too wide or too narrow for an ideal hydrogen bond. The two red lines are the current angle, and the green line shows where the ideal angle would be.