“The plot” thickens: More data, more dimensions, more uses
The scientific history of the Ramachandran plot is reviewed, emphasizing relationships to the title theme and to trends in current research. The growth and quality of macromolecular structure data have enabled the understanding of relationships with further variables and the application to an ever-widening set of uses such as prediction, simulation, design, motif identification, and structure validation and improvement. Then a current research example is explored, using a new dataset of 8000 selected protein chains and >1.5 million quality-filtered residues. The new Ramachandran plots show an unprecedented level of detail, allow the valid addition of more subcategories and more dimensions, and point the way toward the feasibility of an essentially complete and robust treatment of torsional conformation in the near future.
