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Publication Abstract from PubMed

F-spondin is a secreted and extracellular matrix-attached protein that has been implicated in axonal pathfinding during neural development as well as in vascular remodelling in adult tissues. F-spondin is composed of a reeler, a spondin and six thrombospondin type 1 repeat domains. The reeler domain shares homology with the amino-terminal domain of reelin, a large secreted glycoprotein that guides migrating neurons during cortical development. Crystal structures of the F-spondin reeler domain were determined at 1.45 and 2.70 A resolution. The structure revealed a nine-stranded antiparallel beta-sandwich fold similar to the immunoglobulin or fibronectin type III domains, but with a unique extra beta-hairpin. Moreover, an amino-terminal extension which is anchored at its beginning via a conserved disulfide bond loosely packs against one face of the beta-sandwich, making a major contribution to the surface features of the domain. Structural comparison among the different molecules contained in two different crystals reveals an unusual conformational plasticity of the amino-terminal loop, suggesting its role in molecular interactions.

Structure of the F-spondin reeler domain reveals a unique beta-sandwich fold with a deformable disulfide-bonded loop.,Nagae M, Nishikawa K, Yasui N, Yamasaki M, Nogi T, Takagi J Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2008 Nov;64(Pt 11):1138-45. Epub 2008, Oct 18. PMID:19020352^[1]

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