<p>Depends whether you work with named selections which is preferable and helpful if you want to use this Pymol session for future images. In this case, use the distance command for your two selections, one being the N of the K in your ligand and the other the O of the E of your protein.</p>
<p>Full syntax and examples here: <a href="https://pymolwiki.org/index.php/Distance" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://pymolwiki.org/index.php/Distance</a></p>
<p>If you need a quick solution: in the menu Wizard, click on Measurement. Then click on the two atoms where you want the dotted line to appear in between.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-31T11:10:53.060Z
Thanks but I'd like to see the `electrostatic` contact - proton and electron - like shown in my OP.
littleworth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-01T09:56:35.443Z
This answer is still valid, you simply click the hydrogen not the nitrogen for your distance. However, I would suggest that you do `color atomic, not element C` as you currently have all elements coloured in and it's well confusing...
Matteo Ferla
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-31T11:00:58.910Z
2021-10-31T11:00:58.910Z
bunher
<p>I have the following Pymol visual,
The green molecule is receptor and red/yellow is the ligand.
In the ligand I highlighted Lysine (K) residue as yellow.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/GJy8Kl.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/GJy8Kl.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>What I want to do is to highlight and draw the electro static contact of the ligand especially with Lysine residue. Like this in Pymol:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/M8lCum.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/M8lCum.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>How can I achieve that?</p>

<protein-structure><docking><pymol><structural-biology>
How to show electrostatic interactions in Pymol on the wanted residue
# How to show electrostatic interactions in Pymol on the wanted residue

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-30)

I have the following Pymol visual,
The green molecule is receptor and red/yellow is the ligand.
In the ligand I highlighted Lysine (K) residue as yellow.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/GJy8Kl.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/GJy8Kl.jpg)

What I want to do is to highlight and draw the electro static contact of the ligand especially with Lysine residue. Like this in Pymol:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/M8lCum.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/M8lCum.png)

How can I achieve that?

**Tags:** protein-structure, docking, pymol, structural-biology

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-31. Score: 4

Depends whether you work with named selections which is preferable and helpful if you want to use this Pymol session for future images. In this case, use the distance command for your two selections, one being the N of the K in your ligand and the other the O of the E of your protein.

Full syntax and examples here: <https://pymolwiki.org/index.php/Distance>

If you need a quick solution: in the menu Wizard, click on Measurement. Then click on the two atoms where you want the dotted line to appear in between.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks but I'd like to see the `electrostatic` contact - proton and electron - like shown in my OP.  
> **username_2**: This answer is still valid, you simply click the hydrogen not the nitrogen for your distance. However, I would suggest that you do `color atomic, not element C` as you currently have all elements coloured in and it's well confusing...  

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