Primary sequence and refined tertiary structure of Pseudomonas fluorescens holo azurin at 2.05 A.

This paper reports the primary sequence and refined crystal structure of Pseudomonas fluorescens holoazurin. The crystal structure has been determined by molecular replacement on the basis of the molecular model of azurin from Alcaligenes denitrificans, and refined by the method of molecular dynamics simulation and energy-restrained least-squares methods. P.

Regulation of cardiac cushion development by hyaluronan.

Hyaluronan is an extracellular matrix component implicated in expansion of the extracellular space, organization of supramolecular architecture, cell motility, proliferation, tumour metastases and wound healing. Hyaluronan is highly expressed in the developing heart but it is only a minor component of the mature heart. The loss of hyaluronan synthase-2 (Has2) results in embryonic lethality with a phenotype remarkably similar to that of the versican-deficient heart defect mouse.

Disruption of hyaluronan synthase-2 abrogates normal cardiac morphogenesis and hyaluronan-mediated transformation of epithelium to mesenchyme.

We identified hyaluronan synthase-2 (Has2) as a likely source of hyaluronan (HA) during embryonic development, and we used gene targeting to study its function in vivo. Has2(-/-) embryos lack HA, exhibit severe cardiac and vascular abnormalities, and die during midgestation (E9.5-10).

Purification and crystallization of a novel membrane-anchored protein: the Schistosoma haematobium serpin.

A unique serine-protease inhibitor (serpin) of the blood fluke S. haematobium has been crystallized. It is an antitrypsin with an unusual residue (phenylalanine) at its reactive center.

Structure of the complex of Maclura pomifera agglutinin and the T-antigen disaccharide, Galbeta1,3GalNAc.

Maclura pomifera agglutinin is a tetrameric plant seed lectin with high affinity for the tumor-associated T-antigen disaccharide, Galbeta1,3GalNAcalpha, and hence for many O-linked glycopeptide structures. Unlike members of most lectin families, it lacks both metal ions and Cys residues. The structure of its complex with Galbeta1,3GalNAc was determined to 2.