10.2 Symmetry in Protein Assemblies

Symmetry in Protein Assemblies (Module 10: The Assembler). Key concept: Cyclic and dihedral symmetry in complexes. Distinguish cyclic (Cn) from dihedral (Dn) symmetry.

• Distinguish cyclic (Cn) from dihedral (Dn) symmetry
• Determine the symmetry of a complex from its structure, counting chains and locating axes
• Explain why a Cn assembly has one unique interface generated n times
• Distinguish exact symmetry from pseudo-symmetry, and explain why haemoglobin is called pseudo-D2 but is rigorously C2