Wavelets and molecular structure

The wavelet method offers possibilities for display, editing, and topological comparison of proteins at a user-specified level of detail. Wavelets are a mathematical tool that first found application in signal processing. The multiresolution analysis of a signal via wavelets provides a hierarchical series of 'best' lower-resolution approximations. B-spline ribbons model the protein fold, with one control point per residue. Wavelet analysis sets limits on the information required to define the winding of the backbone through space, suggesting a recognizable fold is generated from a number of points equal to 1/4 or less the number of residues. Wavelets applied to surfaces and volumes show promise in structure-based drug design.