Coiled coil

Coiled coil refers to a special protein structure motif, a so-called double helix. In simplified terms, this refers to a helix, which in turn is formed into another helix with a larger radius. A coiled-coil structure must therefore consist of at least 2 individual helices.

One of the most common coiled coil structures is the so-called bZIP domain (also known as leucine zipper). Coiled coil motifs are found in many proteins, for example in transcription factors or in proteins involved in vesicle transport. It is assumed that they still often have a spacer function. In some proteins, they also contribute to dimer formation.