Function
Lysin (Lys) is a protein which cleaves cell walls. Egg Lysin, a protein from abalone sperm, creates a hole in the envelope of the egg, permitting the sperm to pass through the envelope and fuse with the egg.
Structural highlights
The structure of lysin, refined at 1.9 angstroms resolution, reveals an alpha-helical, amphipathic molecule. you can see the alpha helixes in pink. exhibits three features: two tracks of basic residues that span the length of the molecule, a solvent-exposed cluster of ,(in green) and an extended amino-terminal hypervariable domain that is species-specific. The structure suggests possible mechanisms of action[1].
