Article ID: | iaor2007376 |
Country: | United States |
Volume: | 16 |
Issue: | 4 |
Start Page Number: | 470 |
End Page Number: | 485 |
Publication Date: | Sep 2004 |
Journal: | INFORMS Journal On Computing |
Authors: | Smith J. MacGregor, Stanton Courtney |
Keywords: | Protein design, Steiner problem |
One of the key issues in biochemistry and molecular modelling is the determination of 3-D minimum-energy configurations (MECs) for macromolecular structures such as proteins and DNA. Steiner minimal trees are seen as a useful algorithmic paradigm for modelling these structures. In this paper, we examine how Steiner minimal trees (SMTs) and the Steiner ratio value comparing minimum spanning trees (MSTs) are correlated with MEC energies in a physically meaningful manner. We conclude that the carbon and nitrogen atoms are Steiner points in the Steiner minimal tree of the proteins.