DSSP (algorithm)

In protein structure, the DSSP algorithm is the standard method for assigning secondary structure to the amino acids of a protein, given the atomic-resolution coordinates of the protein.

DSSP begins by identifying the hydrogen bonds of the protein structure using a purely electrostatic definition.

DSSP defines certain criteria for the hydrogen bonds that characterize each type of secondary structure. DSSP recognizes eight types of secondary structure.

These eight types are usually grouped into three larger classes: helix, strand and loop.

Reference

• Kabsch and Sander (1981)