= Helix-coil transition model
{wiki=Helix–coil_transition_model}
= Coil-helix model
{synonym}
A helix-coil transition model assigns local states of a <biopolymer> to an ordered helical conformation or a disordered coil conformation. Their competing <free energies> determine the tendency to form a helix, while the cost of boundaries between regions gives cooperativity: forming a new helical run can be less favorable than extending an existing one. A coil state is a class of disordered conformations, not a claim that the whole molecule is an <ideal chain>. The <Zimm-Bragg model> is a simple nearest-neighbour statistical model of this competition.
Back to article page
