The leucine zipper: a hypothetical structure common to a new class of DNA binding proteins

A 30-amino-acid segment of C/EBP, a newly discovered enhancer binding protein, shares notable sequence similarity with a segment of the cellular Myc transforming protein. Display of these respective amino acid sequences on an idealized alpha helix revealed a periodic repetition of leucine residues at every seventh position over a distance covering eight helical turns. The periodic array of at least four leucines was also noted in the sequences of the Fos and Jun transforming proteins, as well as that of the yeast gene regulatory protein, GCN4. The polypeptide segments containing these periodic arrays of leucine residues are proposed to exist in an alpha-helical conformation, and the leucine side chains extending from one alpha helix interdigitate with those displayed from a similar alpha helix of a second polypeptide, facilitating dimerization. This hypothetical structure is referred to as the "leucine zipper," and it may represent a characteristic property of a new category of DNA binding proteins.     

Tertiary structure is a principal determinant to protein deamidation

The protein deamidation process involves the conversion of the amide side-chain moieties of asparagine and glutamine residues to carboxyl groups. This conversion is an unusual form of protein modification in that it requires catalysis by an intramolecular reaction where both the substrate (asparagine and glutamine side chains) and "catalytic site" (the peptide nitrogen of the succeeding residue) are constituents of several consecutive residues along the polypeptide chain. The stereochemical factors governing this process were studied with a data base derived from the neutron crystallographic structure of trypsin from which amide groups and oxygen can be unambiguously differentiated because of their different neutron scattering properties. The neutron structure allowed for the direct determination of those residues that were deamidated; 3 of 13 asparagine residues were found to be modified. These modified residues were clearly distinguished by a distinct local conformation and hydrogen-bonding structure in contrast to those observed for the other asparagine residues. No correlation was found between preference to deamidate and the chemical character of residues flanking the site, as had been proposed from previous peptide studies.     

NMR studies of the structure and dynamics of membrane-bound bacteriophage Pf1 coat protein

Filamentous bacteriophage coat protein undergoes a remarkable structural transition during the viral assembly process as it is transferred from the membrane environment of the cell, where it spans the phospholipid bilayer, to the newly extruded virus particles. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies show the membrane-bound form of the 46-residue Pf1 coat protein to be surprisingly complex with five distinct regions. The secondary structure consists of a long hydrophobic helix (residues 19 to 42) that spans the bilayer and a short amphipathic helix (residues 6 to 13) parallel to the plane of the bilayer. The NH2-terminus (residues 1 to 5), the COOH-terminus (residues 43 to 46), and residues 14 to 18 connecting the two helices are mobile. By comparing the structure and dynamics of the membrane-bound coat protein with that of the viral form as determined by NMR and neutron diffraction, essential features of assembly process can be identified.     

Crystal structure of alpha 1: implications for protein design

X-ray diffraction shows the structure of a synthetic protein model, formed from noncovalent self-association of a 12-residue peptide and of sulfate ions at low pH. This peptide is a fragment of a 16-residue polypeptide that was designed to form an amphiphilic alpha helix with a ridge of Leu residues along one helical face. By interdigitation of the leucines of four such helices, the design called for self-association into a four-alpha-helical bundle. The crystal structure (2.7 angstrom resolution; R factor = 0.215) reveals a structure more complex than the design, with both a tetramer and a hexamer. The alpha-helical tetramer with leucine interior has more oblique crossing angles than most four-alpha-helical bundles; the hexamer has a globular hydrophobic core of 12 leucine residues and three associated sulfate ions. Computational analysis suggests that the hexameric association is tighter than the tetrameric one. The consistency of the structure with the design is discussed, as well as the divergence.     

Transmembrane protein structure: spin labeling of bacteriorhodopsin mutants

Transmembrane proteins serve important biological functions, yet precise information on their secondary and tertiary structure is very limited. The boundaries and structures of membrane-embedded domains in integral membrane proteins can be determined by a method based on a combination of site-specific mutagenesis and nitroxide spin labeling. The application to one polypeptide segment in bacteriorhodopsin, a transmembrane chromoprotein that functions as a light-driven proton pump is described. Single cysteine residues were introduced at 18 consecutive positions (residues 125 to 142). Each mutant was reacted with a specific spin label and reconstituted into vesicles that were shown to be functional. The relative collision frequency of each spin label with freely diffusing oxygen and membrane-impermeant chromium oxalate was estimated with power saturation EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) spectroscopy. The results indicate that residues 129 to 131 form a short water-exposed loop, while residues 132 to 142 are membrane-embedded. The oxygen accessibility for positions 131 to 138 varies with a periodicity of 3.6 residues, thereby providing a striking demonstration of an alpha helix. The orientation of this helical segment with respect to the remainder of the protein was determined.     

山羊MT-Ⅲ分子特性研究

通过设计特异性引物MT-ⅢSP1和MT-ⅢSP2,采用RT-PCR方法分别从奶山羊和绒山羊脑组织中克隆出金属硫蛋白-Ⅲ(MT-Ⅲ)基因编码区全序列,并利用生物信息学方法分析山羊MT-Ⅲ的分子特性.结果表明:奶山羊和绒山羊MT-Ⅲ基因编码区全长均为207bp,编码68个氨基酸,其中含19个半胱氨酸,不含芳香族氨基酸和组氨酸;BLAST搜索结果表明,MT-Ⅲ编码氨基酸序列在物种间高度保守,含有MT-Ⅲ特有的MDPET、C-X-C、C-C-X-C-C、C-X-X-C、KKS(X为非Cys外的其它氨基酸)等保守的短肽结构;生物信息学分析表明,山羊MT-Ⅲ无明显疏水结构和跨膜结构域,无信号肽,是一种细胞质蛋白.山羊MT-Ⅲ蛋白质二级结构主要为不规则卷曲,仅在第40-50位氨基酸残基间有明显的螺旋结构;三级结构预测表明,山羊MT-Ⅲ的三级结构由α和β2个结构域组成,通过KKS连接,且MT-Ⅲ氨基酸序列中第30位保守的半胱氨酸在反刍动物中均突变成丝氨酸,位于β-结构域.     

Partial symmetrization of the photosynthetic reaction center

The bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (RC) is a pigmented intrinsic membrane protein that performs the primary charge separation event of photosynthesis, thereby converting light to chemical energy. The RC pigments are bound primarily by two homologous peptides, the L and M subunits, each containing five transmembrane helices. These alpha helices and pigments are arranged in an approximate C2 symmetry and form two possible electron transfer pathways. Only one of these pathways is actually used. In an attempt to identify nonhomologous residues that are responsible for functional differences between the two branches, homologous helical regions that interact extensively with the pigments were genetically symmetrized (that is, exchanged). For example, replacement of the fourth transmembrane helix (D helix) in the M subunit with the homologous helix from the L subunit yields photosynthetically inactive RCs lacking a critical photoactive pigment. Photosynthetic revertants have been isolated in which single amino acid substitutions (intragenic suppressors) compensate for this partial symmetrization.     

小反刍兽疫病毒P基因的克隆及其结构与功能分析

 【目的】对小反刍兽疫病毒P基因进行克隆,并对其结构和功能的关系进行分析,为研究小反刍兽疫病毒P蛋白的功能及其在病毒增殖过程中的作用奠定基础。【方法】利用RT-PCR的方法对小反刍兽疫P基因全长进行克隆,通过生物学软件对其核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列进行了比对,利用I-TASSER进行三级结构预测,然后分析其结构和功能之间的关系。【结果】P基因和MV、CDV、RPV、DMV和PDV的P基因的相似性分别为62.9%、63.3%、64.4%、65.1%和60.4%,氨基酸的相似性分别为45.9%、46.2%、50.6%、50.3%和47.0%。三级结构表明该蛋白由3个结构域构成,中间是由多个α-螺旋构成的结构域,主要行使与L大蛋白和RNA结合的功能,两边分别是N-端和C-端结构域,C-端结构域含有3个α-螺旋,分别位于458—468aa、492—499aa和503—505aa位,主要作为N蛋白α-螺旋的结合位点。【结论】本研究成功地克隆小反刍兽疫病毒P基因,分析和预测了p蛋白的结构和功能的关系,为其进一步的生物学功能研究及其应用奠定了基础。     

Three-dimensional structure of the LDL receptor-binding domain of human apolipoprotein E

Human apolipoprotein E, a blood plasma protein, mediates the transport and uptake of cholesterol and lipid by way of its high affinity interaction with different cellular receptors, including the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. The three-dimensional structure of the LDL receptor-binding domain of apoE has been determined at 2.5 angstrom resolution by x-ray crystallography. The protein forms an unusually elongated (65 angstroms) four-helix bundle, with the helices apparently stabilized by a tightly packed hydrophobic core that includes leucine zipper-type interactions and by numerous salt bridges on the mostly charged surface. Basic amino acids important for LDL receptor binding are clustered into a surface patch on one long helix. This structure provides the basis for understanding the behavior of naturally occurring mutants that can lead to atherosclerosis.     

Deciphering the message in protein sequences: tolerance to amino acid substitutions

An amino acid sequence encodes a message that determines the shape and function of a protein. This message is highly degenerate in that many different sequences can code for proteins with essentially the same structure and activity. Comparison of different sequences with similar messages can reveal key features of the code and improve understanding of how a protein folds and how it performs its function.     

大豆C4H基因克隆及生物信息学分析

为了从分子水平上揭示大豆C4H的结构特点,并为提高其表达活性提供理论依据,利用RT-PCR技术克隆了大豆C4H基因,并已登录GenBank(登录号为FJ770468),长度为1 766 bp,编码区1 521 bp,编码一个含有506个氨基酸残基的多肽。生物信息学分析显示,C4H理论PI=5.30,Mw=39.092 ku;C4H是易溶、亲水性较强的蛋白,同时有两个明显的疏水峰,有2个跨膜肽段;通过HNN分析表明,C4H各个氨基酸残基对应的二级结构分别为α螺旋(Alpha helix)(Hh):251,49.60%,β折叠(Extended strand)(Ee):52,10.28%,无规卷曲(Random coil)(Cc):203,40.12%;Geno3d模建预测,C4H蛋白中β折叠区有57个折叠,折叠区间有24个α螺旋,此外还有14个卷曲结构。氨基酸序列和结构分析显示C4H蛋白包含了一个保守区,即P450 domain。利用SignalP分析得到信号肽存在几率、信号肽锚定几率均为0.498,切割位点位于28和29位氨基酸之间。     

The DNA-binding properties of the major regulatory protein alpha 4 of herpes simplex viruses

The transition from the expression of alpha, the first set of five herpes simplex virus genes expressed after infection, to beta and gamma genes, expressed later in infection, requires the participation of infected cell protein 4 (alpha 4), the major viral regulatory protein. The alpha 4 protein is present in complexes formed by proteins extracted from infected cells and viral DNA fragments derived from promoter domains. This report shows that the alpha 4 protein forms specific complexes with DNA fragments derived from 5' transcribed noncoding domains of late (gamma 2) genes whose expression requires viral DNA synthesis as well as functional alpha 4 protein. Some of the DNA fragments to which alpha 4 binds do not contain homologs of the previously reported DNA binding site consensus sequence, suggesting that alpha 4 may recognize and interact with more than one type of DNA binding site. The alpha 4 proteins can bind to DNA directly. A posttranslationally modified form of the alpha 4 protein designated alpha 4c differs from the alpha 4a and alpha 4b forms with respect to its affinity for DNA fragments differing in the nucleotide sequences of the binding sites.     

百日草几丁质酶基因片段克隆及其序列分析

[目的]克隆百日草几丁质酶的基因片段,并对其序列进行分析.[方法]以百日草“梦境”系列为材料,提取其叶片总RNA,并根据其他植物几丁质酶基因保守序列设计简并引物,通过RT-PCR克隆百日草几丁质酶基因片段（ZEchi）,并对该基因序列进行分析.[结果]克隆得到的片段长度为227 bp,共编码75个氨基酸残基;核苷酸同源性分析表明,ZEchi与已报道的其他植物几丁质酶基因同源性达70％以上,其中与葡萄的同源性最高,为74％;氨基酸同源性分析表明,该几丁质酶多肽属于18家族几丁质酶,且与已报道的其他植物几丁质酶氨基酸序列具有70％以上的相似性;氨基酸聚类分析表明,该几丁质酶多肽与白车轴草和蒺藜苜蓿的几丁质酶聚类;生物信息学分析表明,由该基因片段编码的多肽为非跨膜蛋白,主要含α螺旋和随机线圈螺旋等二级结构.[结论]该研究为进一步研究几丁质酶基因的功能奠定了基础.     

Three-dimensional solution structure of a single zinc finger DNA-binding domain

The three-dimensional solution structure of a zinc finger nucleic acid binding motif has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Spectra of a synthetic peptide corresponding to a single zinc finger from the Xenopus protein Xfin yielded distance and dihedral angle constraints that were used to generate structures from distance geometry and restrained molecular dynamics calculations. The zinc finger is an independently folded domain with a compact globular structure in which the zinc atom is bound by two cysteine and two histidine ligands. The polypeptide backbone fold consists of a well-defined helix, starting as alpha and ending as 3(10) helix, packed against two beta strands that are arranged in a hairpin structure. A high density of basic and polar amino acid side chains on the exposed face of the helix are probably involved in DNA binding.     

31种药用植物HMGR蛋白的生物信息学分析

利用生物信息学方法对大戟(Euphorbia pekinensis)、曼地亚红豆杉(Taxus media)、球药隔重楼(Paris fargesii)等31种药用植物HMGR蛋白质的理化性质、亲/疏水性、跨膜结构、蛋白质二级结构、信号肽等进行预测和分析。结果表明,31种药用植物HMGR蛋白氨基酸残基数量大部分在500~600 aa之间;大多数定位于质膜上;分子质量在58~65 ku之间;主要富含Gly、Ala、Leu、Ser和Val等氨基酸。HMGR蛋白具有一定的亲水性,含有两个跨膜结构域,均不具有信号肽,二级结构的主要构件为α-螺旋和不规则卷曲。曼地亚红豆杉、罗汉果、假马齿苋、苍术、秦艽、土沉香、丹参、银杏、黄花蒿HMGR蛋白为稳定蛋白,而其余均为较不稳定蛋白。同源性分析表明,除了灵芝以外,其他植物均聚集在同一枝上,药用植物HMGR蛋白有较高的保守性。     

Crystal structure of Cd,Zn metallothionein

The anomalous scattering data from five Cd in the native protein were used to determine the crystal structure of cadmium, zinc (Cd,Zn) metallothionein isoform II from rat liver. The structure of a 4-Cd cluster was solved by direct methods. A 2.3 A resolution electron density map was calculated by iterative single-wavelength anomalous scattering. The structure is folded into two domains. The amino terminal domain (beta) of residues 1 to 29 enfolds a three-metal cluster of one Cd and two Zn atoms coordinated by six terminal cysteine thiolate ligands and three bridging cysteine thiolates. The carboxyl terminal domain (alpha) of residues 30 to 61 enfolds a 4-Cd cluster coordinated by six terminal and five bridging cysteine thiolates. All seven metal sites have tetrahedral coordination geometry. The domains are roughly spherical, and the diameter is 15 to 20 A; there is limited contact between domains. The folding of alpha and beta is topologically similar but with opposite chirality. Redundant, short cysteine-containing sequences have similar roles in cluster formation in both alpha and beta.     

Hyaluronic acid: a novel, double helical molecule

Films prepared from a deformable gel (or putty) of hyaluronic acid show high crystallinity and orientation in their x-ray diffraction patterns. We have derived a probable structure for the molecules in these films. This is a double helix in which two identical, left-handed strands are antiparallel to one another. Each strand has four disaccharide residues per pitch length. Although the putty is prepared at pH 2.5, at which dilute solutions of hyaluronic have exaggerated rheological properties, the double helical form can also exist at physiological pH and therefore may be a biologically important form.     

米曲霉6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因(gnd)的克隆及生物信息学分析

采用PCR技术从米曲霉CICC2012菌株基因组中克隆6-磷酸葡萄糖酸脱氢酶基因(gnd),并利用生物信息学手段对其氨基酸序列、进化树、理化性质、蛋白质结构等进行分析.序列测定和分析结果表明.gnd基因序列长为1 723 bp.包含1个1 551 bp的开放阅读框,编码516个氨基酸;gnd基因编码的6PGDH氨基酸序列与黄曲霉6PGDH基因的同源性为99％,存在的丝氨酸、苏氨酸和酪氨酸磷酸化位点分别有11,2和6个;6PGDH蛋白分子量为57.3 kD,等电点为5.63; gnid基因编码蛋白二级结构α-螺旋区域占44.57％,β-折叠区域占12.79％.无规则卷曲区域占42.64％;氨基酸残基11～195位点为NADP+结合区域.     

Amino acid preferences for specific locations at the ends of alpha helices

A definition based on alpha-carbon positions and a sample of 215 alpha helices from 45 different globular protein structures were used to tabulate amino acid preferences for 16 individual positions relative to the helix ends. The interface residue, which is half in and half out of the helix, is called the N-cap or C-cap, whichever is appropriate. The results confirm earlier observations, such as asymmetrical charge distributions in the first and last helical turn, but several new, sharp preferences are found as well. The most striking of these are a 3.5:1 preference for Asn at the N-cap position, and a preference of 2.6:1 for Pro at N-cap + 1. The C-cap position is overwhelmingly dominated by Gly, which ends 34 percent of the helices. Hydrophobic residues peak at positions N-cap + 4 and C-cap - 4.     

De novo design, expression, and characterization of Felix: a four-helix bundle protein of native-like sequence

The protein Felix was designed de novo to fold into an antiparallel four-helix bundle of specific topology. Its sequence of 79 amino acid residues is not homologous to any known protein sequence, but is "native-like" in that it is nonrepetitive and contains 19 of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids. Felix has been expressed from a synthetic gene cloned in Escherichia coli, and the protein has been purified to homogeneity. Physical characterization of the purified protein indicates that Felix (i) is monomeric in solution, (ii) is predominantly alpha-helical, (iii) contains a designed intramolecular disulfide bond linking the first and fourth helices, and (iv) buries its single tryptophan in an apolar environment and probably in close proximity with the disulfide bond. These physical properties rule out several alternative structures and indicate that Felix indeed folds into approximately the designed three-dimensional structure.