The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
The receptor binding protein P2 of the bacteriophage PRD1 has been shown to consist of a β propeller ''head'' with pseudo-6-fold symmetry and an elongated ''tail'' with a protruding proline-rich ''fin.'' This novel viral receptor binding structure is suggestive of its orientation on the viral capsid and its role in viral entry.
The three-dimensional structure of pyruvoyl-dependent arginine decarboxylase from Methanococcus jannaschii was determined at 1.4 A resolution. The pyruvoyl group of arginine decarboxylase is generated by an autocatalytic internal serinolysis reaction at Ser53 in the proenzyme resulting in two polypeptide chains. The structure of the nonprocessing S53A mutant was also determined. The active site of...
The azalide azithromycin and the ketolide ABT-773, which were derived by chemical modifications of erythromycin, exhibit elevated activity against a number of penicillin- and macrolide-resistant pathogenic bacteria. Analysis of the crystal structures of the large ribosomal subunit from Deinococcus radiodurans complexed with azithromycin or ABT-773 indicates that, despite differences in the number...
In this issue of Structure, a new β barrel kinase fold and a unique structural arrangement for phosphoryl transfer is revealed by Zhang and coworkers through their structure determination of riboflavin kinase.
Rab GTPases, key regulators of membrane targeting and fusion, require the covalent attachment of geranylgeranyl lipids to their C terminus for function. To elucidate the role of lipid in Rab recycling, we have determined the crystal structure of Rab guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (αGDI) in complex with a geranylgeranyl (GG) ligand (H 2 N-Cys-(S-GG)-OMe). The lipid is bound beneath...
The structure of [ 113 Cd 7 ]-metallothionein (MT_nc) of the Antarctic fish Notothenia coriiceps, the first three-dimensional structure of a fish metallothionein, was determined by homonuclear 1 H NMR experiments and heteronuclear [ 1 H, 113 Cd]-correlation spectroscopy. MT_nc is composed of an N-terminal β domain with 9 cysteines and 3 metal...
Syntenin, a 33 kDa protein, interacts with several cell membrane receptors and with merlin, the product of the causal gene for neurofibromatosis type II. We report a crystal structure of the functional fragment of human syntenin containing two canonical PDZ domains, as well as binding studies for full-length syntenin, the PDZ tandem, and isolated PDZ domains. We show that the functional properties...
Serpins utilize conformational change to inhibit target proteinases; the price paid for this conformational flexibility is that many undergo temperature-induced polymerization. Despite this thermolability, serpins are present in the genomes of thermophilic prokaryotes, and here we characterize the first such serpin, thermopin. Thermopin is a proteinase inhibitor and, in comparison with human α ...
A new crystal structure of thrombin that has the hallmarks of its elusive slow conformation reveals a detailed mechanism of thrombin's allosteric sodium switch and underlines its-mysterious-physiological relevance.
Rhodopsin, a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor, catalyzes the activation of a heterotrimeric G protein, transducin, to initiate a visual signaling cascade in photoreceptor cells. The βγ subunit complex, especially the C-terminal domain of the transducin γ subunit, Gtγ(60-71)farnesyl, plays a pivotal role in allosteric regulation of nucleotide exchange on the transducin α subunit by light-activated...
The crystal structure of BMP7 in complex with the type II activin receptor shows a different receptor binding site on the ligand compared to that observed in the TGF-β3 and receptor complex. The result highlights the potential diversity in ligand recognition among members of the TGF-β superfamily.
The Ebola virus membrane-associated matrix protein VP40 is thought to be crucial for assembly and budding of virus particles. Here we present the crystal structure of a disk-shaped octameric form of VP40 formed by four antiparallel homodimers of the N-terminal domain. The octamer binds an RNA triribonucleotide containing the sequence 5'-U-G-A-3' through its inner pore surface, and its oligomerization...
Thrombin participates in its own positive and negative feedback loops, and its allosteric state helps determine the hemostatic balance. Here we present the 1.8 A crystallographic structure of S195A thrombin in two conformational states: active site occupied and active site free. The active site-occupied form shows how thrombin can accommodate substrates, such as protein C. The active site-free form...
Protease inhibitors of the serpin family require thermodynamic instability for their mechanism of inhibition, and a recent paper from Irving and colleagues demonstrates the structural basis for how a serpin from a bacterial thermophile deals with life at elevated temperature.
Engagement of diverse protein ligands (MIC-A/B, ULBP, Rae-1, or H60) by NKG2D immunoreceptors mediates elimination of tumorigenic or virally infected cells by natural killer and T cells. Three previous NKG2D-ligand complex structures show the homodimeric receptor interacting with the monomeric ligands in similar 2:1 complexes, with an equivalent surface on each NKG2D monomer binding intimately to...
A family of 4-heteroaryl-2-amino-pyrimidine CDK2 inhibitor lead compounds was discovered with the new database-mining program LIDAEUS through in silico screening. Four compounds with IC 50 values ranging from 17 to 0.9 μM were selected for X-ray crystal analysis. Two distinct binding modes are observed, one of which resembles the hydrogen bonding pattern of bound ATP. In the second binding...
A novel, 68 amino acid long flavoprotein called dodecin has been discovered in the proteome of Halobacterium salinarum by inverse structural genomics. The 1.7 A crystal structure of this protein shows a dodecameric, hollow sphere-like arrangement of the protein subunits. Unlike other known flavoproteins, which bind only monomeric flavin cofactors, the structure of the dodecin oligomer comprises six...
A peptide specific to a G protein γ subunit C terminus undergoes a conformational shift concordant with receptor activation, providing direct support for a long-standing proposal that a conformational switch in the γ subunit tail mediates G protein activation by a receptor.
The crystal structure of Hef endonuclease, an archaeal member of the XPF/Rad1/Mus81 family, reveals a type II restriction enzyme-like active site and a bifurcated dimer interface essential for DNA cleavage. These findings provide a focal point for future study of this family of structure-specific endonucleases.
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.