Computational protein structure prediction mainly involves the main-chain prediction and the side-chain confirmation determination. In this research, we developed a new structural bioinformatics tool, TERPRED for generating dynamic protein side-chain rotamer libraries. Compared with current various rotamer sampling methods, our work is unique in that it provides a method to generate a rotamer library dynamically based on small sequence fragments of a target protein. The Rotamer Generator provides a means for existing side-chain sampling methods using static pre-existing rotamer libraries, to sample from dynamic target-dependent libraries. Also, existing side-chain packing algorithms that require large rotamer libraries for optimal performance, could possibly utilize smaller, target-relevant libraries for improved speed.
Keywords: protein side-chain; protein structure; rotamer library.