[chimerax-users] Applying symmetry operations to generate an oligomeric model

[Robert Harkness]

Hello,

I am trying to generate a model of an oligomeric protein cage that consists of 4 trimers and has tetrahedral symmetry. I am using the asymmetric unit model consisting of one monomer (#0) and a density map (#1) as a starting point. My strategy has been to take the asymmetric unit and fit it into a portion of the map corresponding to one of the monomers within one of the trimer faces of the tetrahedron. Then I generate a copy of that asymmetric unit (#2) and fit it into the map for an adjacent protomer within the same trimer face. This results in the two asymmetric unit models being rotated 120 degrees relative to one another and part of the same trimer. Then I use the measure rotation command to measure the rotation of the second asymmetric unit relative to the first, giving me a rotation matrix and axis parameters. I then do

sym #0 (first asymmetric unit) group t,z3 axis <axis from measure rotation> center <axis points from measure rotation> coordinateSystem #1 (the density map)

And this generates the right looking trimers, so the 3-fold axis appears to be correct, but the center is off such that only one of the four trimers matches the density map and is placed at the top of the tetrahedron, while the other 3 trimers are off into the void of the scene but placed at the other 3 vertices. I am not sure how to appropriately define the center. My feeling is that it should be the center of the map, taken from the measure center #1 command, but implementing those numbers in sym doesn’t work either. Any thoughts on how these center coordinates are defined/should be measured, or if there is a better approach for doing this would be awesome!

Best,

Rob