Structural highlights
Publication Abstract from PubMed
The folding and unfolding of structurally similar proteins belonging to a family have long been a focus of investigation of the structure-(un)folding relationship. Such studies are yet to reach a consensus about whether structurally similar domains follow common or different unfolding pathways. Members of the betagamma-crystallin superfamily, which consists of structurally similar proteins with limited sequence similarity from diverse life forms spanning microbes to mammals, form an appropriate model system for exploring this relationship further. We selected a new member, Crybg3_D3, the third betagamma-crystallin domain of non-lens vertebrate protein Crybg3 from mouse brain. The crystal structure determined at 1.86 A demonstrates that the betagamma-crystallin domain of Crybg3 resembles more closely the lens betagamma-crystallins than the microbial crystallins do. However, interestingly, this structural cousin follows a quite distinct (un)folding pathway via formation of an intermediate state. The intermediate species is in a nativelike conformation with variation in flexibility and tends to form insoluble aggregates. The individual domains of lens betagamma-crystallins (and microbial homologues) do not follow such an unfolding pattern. Thus, even the closest members of a subfamily within a superfamily do not necessarily follow similar unfolding paths, suggesting the divergence acquired by these domains, which could be observed only by unfolding. Additionally, this study provides insights into the modifications that this domain has undergone during its recruitment into the non-lens tissues in vertebrates.
Aggregation-prone near-native intermediate formation during unfolding of a structurally similar nonlenticular betagamma-crystallin domain.,Rajanikanth V, Srivastava SS, Singh AK, Rajyalakshmi M, Chandra K, Aravind P, Sankaranarayanan R, Sharma Y Biochemistry. 2012 Oct 30;51(43):8502-13. doi: 10.1021/bi300844u. Epub 2012 Oct, 18. PMID:23043265[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Rajanikanth V, Srivastava SS, Singh AK, Rajyalakshmi M, Chandra K, Aravind P, Sankaranarayanan R, Sharma Y. Aggregation-prone near-native intermediate formation during unfolding of a structurally similar nonlenticular betagamma-crystallin domain. Biochemistry. 2012 Oct 30;51(43):8502-13. doi: 10.1021/bi300844u. Epub 2012 Oct, 18. PMID:23043265 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bi300844u
