Molecular mechanism of agonist recognition by the ligand-binding core of the ionotropic glutamate receptor 4.

The alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) class of ionotropic glutamate receptors comprises four different subunits: iGluR1/iGluR2 and iGluR3/iGluR4 forming two subgroups. Three-dimensional structures have been reported only of the ligand-binding core of iGluR2. Here, we present two X-ray structures of a soluble construct of the R/G unedited flip splice variant of the ligand-binding core of iGluR4 (iGluR4(i)(R)-S1S2) in complex with glutamate or AMPA.

Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the extracellular Ig modules I-IV and F3 modules I-III of the neural cell-adhesion molecule L1.

Four amino-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig) modules and three fibronectin type III (F3) modules of the mouse neural cell-adhesion molecule L1 have been expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. The Ig modules I-IV of L1 crystallized in a trigonal space group, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 239.6, c = 99.

The structure of a mixed GluR2 ligand-binding core dimer in complex with (S)-glutamate and the antagonist (S)-NS1209.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediate fast synaptic transmission between cells of the central nervous system and are involved in various aspects of normal brain function. iGluRs are implicated in several brain disorders, e.g.

Tyr702 is an important determinant of agonist binding and domain closure of the ligand-binding core of GluR2.

Ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate most rapid excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system, and their involvement in neurological diseases has stimulated widespread interest in their structure and function. Despite a large number of agonists developed so far, few display selectivity among (S)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl) propionic acid (AMPA)-receptor subtypes. The present study provides X-ray structures of the glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2)-selective partial agonist (S)-2-amino-3-(1,3,5,6,7-pentahydro-2,4-dioxocyclopenta[e] pyrimidin-1-yl) propanoic acid [(S)-CPW399] in complex with the ligand-binding core of GluR2 (GluR2-S1S2J) and with a (Y702F)GluR2-S1S2J mutant.

Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of extracellular modules of the neural cell-adhesion molecules NCAM and L1.

Recombinant proteins consisting of either the four or five amino-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig) modules of the rat neural cell-adhesion molecule NCAM or the whole extracellular part [six Ig and five fibronectin type III (F3) modules] of mouse L1 have been expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. The proteins have been purified and crystallized. The crystals of the recombinant protein containing the four amino-terminal Ig modules of NCAM diffract X-rays to approximately 4 A resolution and belong to space group P622 or P6(3)22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 258.

Structure and interactions of NCAM Ig1-2-3 suggest a novel zipper mechanism for homophilic adhesion.

The neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, mediates Ca(2+)-independent cell-cell and cell-substratum adhesion via homophilic (NCAM-NCAM) and heterophilic (NCAM-non-NCAM molecules) binding. NCAM plays a key role in neural development, regeneration, and synaptic plasticity, including learning and memory consolidation. The crystal structure of a fragment comprising the three N-terminal Ig modules of rat NCAM has been determined to 2.