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Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for identifying the secondary structure of a protein using alpha carbon coordinates. The apparatus includes a pseudo center fixing unit receiving a series of alpha carbon coordinates of amino acid sequences of a target protein so that pseudo centers corresponding to respective alpha carbons are disposed at positions fixed between the respective alpha carbons and alpha carbons adjacent thereto; a helix determination unit determining, based on a dihedral angle and a distance between a preset number of consecutive pseudo centers, whether the secondary structure formed by amino acids corresponding to the consecutive pseudo centers is a helix; and a strand determination unit determining, based on distances between pseudo centers of different pseudo center sequences in a plurality of pseudo center sequences having a preset number of consecutive pseudo centers among pseudo centers other than those corresponding to the helix, whether the secondary structure formed by amino acids corresponding to the pseudo centers of respective pseudo center sequences is a strand. According to this invention, the secondary structure including amino acids corresponding to pseudo centers can be identified based on the dihedral angle or the distance between pseudo centers using pseudo centers fixed between alpha carbons, thus attaining increased accuracy, compared to conventional methods using alpha carbon coordinates.

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First Claim