The Hydrogen Bond and the Structure of Proteins

IN a theory put forward in these columns in March last1, it was suggested that the molecule of simple native protein may contain closed polypeptides: that the polypeptides, open or closed, fall into rings: and that the ring system is such as to allow the possibility of a regular and orderly arrangement of hundreds of amino and imino acid residues which, to some extent at least, is independent of the particular residues in the molecule. These suggestions, as was clear from the outset, can be given precise formulation in more than one way. Two in particular seemed worthy of detailed consideration.