The screw sense of alpha helices is always right-handed . Use the mouse to move this image. View the alpha-helical conformation with kinemage and with Rasmol. . The ends of alpha helices can be stabilized by end-capping . The aggregate charge separation is termed the helix dipole, and it destabilizes the helix.
Some proteins use the helix dipole to stabilize binding of charged ligands.
This page has been assembled using materials from the PPS2 and the Medical Biochemistry Course at Tulane University.