4a87

Publication Abstract from PubMed

The ability of pathogenesis-related proteins of family 10 to bind a broad spectrum of ligands is considered to play a key role for their physiological and pathological functions. In particular, Bet v 1, an archetypical allergen from birch pollen, is described as a highly promiscuous ligand acceptor. However, the detailed recognition mechanisms, including specificity factors discriminating binding properties of naturally occurring Bet v 1 variants, are poorly understood. Here, we report crystal structures of Bet v 1 variants in complex with an array of ligands at a resolution of up to 1.2 A. Residue 30 within the hydrophobic pocket not only discriminates in high and low IgE binding Bet v 1 isoforms but also induces a drastic change in the binding mode of the model ligand deoxycholate. Ternary crystal structure complexes of Bet v 1 with several ligands together with the fluorogenic reporter 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate explain anomalous fluorescence binding curves obtained from 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate displacement assays. The structures reveal key interaction residues such as Tyr83 and rationalize both the binding specificity and promiscuity of the so-called hydrophobic pocket in Bet v 1. The intermolecular interactions of Bet v 1 reveal an unexpected complexity that will be indispensable to fully understand its roles within the physiological and allergenic context.

Crystallographically Mapped Ligand Binding Differs in High and Low IgE Binding Isoforms of Birch Pollen Allergen Bet v 1.,Kofler S, Asam C, Eckhard U, Wallner M, Ferreira F, Brandstetter H J Mol Biol. 2012 Sep 7;422(1):109-23. Epub 2012 May 23. PMID:22634284^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.