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Non-local hydrogen bonding interactions between main chain amide hydrogen atoms and polar side chain acceptors that bracket consecutive βα or αβ elements of secondary structure in αTS from E. coli, a TIM barrel protein, have previously been found to contribute 4-6 kcal mol-1 to the stability of the native conformation. Experimental analysis of similar βα-hairpin clamps in a homologous pair of TIM barrel proteins of low sequence identity, IGPS from S. solfataricus and E. coli, reveals that this dramatic enhancement of stability is not unique to αTS. A survey of 71 TIM barrel proteins demonstrates a 4-fold symmetry for the placement of βα-hairpin clamps, bracing the fundamental βαβ building block and defining its register in the (βα)8 motif. The preferred sequences and locations of βα-hairpin clamps will enhance structure prediction algorithms and provide a strategy for engineering stability in TIM barrel proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]