A calcium-binding protein (CaBP) of Entamoeba histolytica was purified from an E. coli recombinant clone carrying the CaBP gene in a pET-3c expression vector using anion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. Examination of the amino-acid sequence of the recombinant protein suggested that it has four independent EF-hand motifs. The protein dissolved in cacodylate buffer was crystallized using the hanging-drop method with 2-methylpentane-2,4-diol (MPD) as the precipitant. X-ray diffraction data have been collected on these crystals using a MAR Research imaging-plate detector system attached to a Rigaku RU200 rotating-anode X-ray generator. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6122 with unit-cell dimensions of a = b = 96.21, c = 65.48 A. Preliminary molecular-replacement computations suggest that the structure of this protein is likely to be similar to that of calmodulin (CAM).
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1107/s0907444998001759 | DOI Listing |
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
The design of organic-peptide hybrids has the potential to combine our vast knowledge of protein design with small molecule engineering to create hybrid structures with complex functions. Here, we describe the computational design of a photoswitchable Ca-binding organic-peptide hybrid. The designed molecule, designated Ca-binding switch (CaBS), combines an EF-hand motif from classical Ca-binding proteins such as calmodulin with a photoswitchable group that can be reversibly isomerized between a spiropyran (SP) and merocyanine (MC) state in response to different wavelengths of light.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
February 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202.
The mammalian Hippo kinases, MST1 and MST2, regulate organ development and suppress tumor formation by balancing cell proliferation and death. In macrophages, inflammasomes detect molecular patterns from invading pathogens or damaged host cells and trigger programmed cell death. In addition to lytic pyroptosis, the signatures associated with apoptosis are induced by inflammasome activation, but how the inflammasomes coordinate different cell death processes remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Pathology, 906 Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of miRNA 221 on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) in mice through the regulation of phospholamban (PLB) expression.
Methods: The MIRI mouse model was created and mice were divided into sham, MIRI, MIRI+ 221, and MIRI+ scr groups, with miRNA 221 overexpression induced in the myocardium of MIRI mice by targeted myocardial injection. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was performed to observe the variation in miRNA 221, PLB, SERCA2, RYR2, NCX1, Cyt C and caspase 3 mRNA levels in myocardium, while Western blot assessed the levels of PLB, p-PLB (Ser16), p-PLB (Thr17), SERCA2, RYR2, NCX1, Cyt C and caspase 3 proteins.
J Am Chem Soc
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Sciences for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.
Directly probing the heterogeneous conformations of intracellular proteins within their native cellular environment remains a significant challenge in mass spectrometry (MS). Here, we establish an in-cell MS and ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) strategy that directly ejects proteins from living cells into a mass spectrometer, followed by 193 nm UVPD for structural analysis. Applying this approach to calmodulin (CaM), we reveal that it adopts more extended conformations within living cells compared with purified samples , highlighting the unique influence of intracellular environments on protein folding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElife
January 2025
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.
The primary cilium is a microtubule-based organelle that cycles through assembly and disassembly. In many cell types, formation of the cilium is initiated by recruitment of ciliary vesicles to the distal appendage of the mother centriole. However, the distal appendage mechanism that directly captures ciliary vesicles is yet to be identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!