Refined atomic model of wheat serine carboxypeptidase II at 2.2-A resolution.

The crystal structure of the homodimeric serine carboxypeptidase II from wheat (CPDW-II, M(r) 120K) has been determined and fully refined at 2.2-A resolution to a standard crystallographic R factor of 16.9% using synchrotron data collected at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The model has an rms deviation from ideal bond lengths of 0.018 A and from bond angles of 2.8 degrees. The model supports the general conclusions of an earlier study at 3.5-A resolution and will form the basis for investigation into substrate binding and mechanistic studies. The enzyme has an alpha + beta fold, consisting of a central 11-stranded beta-sheet with a total of 15 helices on either side. The enzyme, like other serine proteinases, contains a "catalytic triad" Ser146-His397-Asp338 and a presumed "oxyanion hole" consisting of the backbone amides of Tyr147 and Gly53. The carboxylate of Asp338 and imidazole of His397 are not coplanar in contrast to the other serine proteinases. A comparison of the active site features of the three families of serine proteinases suggests that the "catalytic triad" should actually be regarded as two diads, a His-Asp diad and a His-Ser diad, and that the relative orientation of one diad with respect to the other is not particularly important. Four active site residues (52, 53, 65, and 146) have unfavorable backbone conformations but have well-defined electron density, suggesting that there is some strain in the active site region. The binding of the free amino acid arginine has been analyzed by difference Fourier methods, locating the binding site for the C-terminal carboxylate of the leaving group. The carboxylate makes hydrogen bonds to Glu145, Asn51, and the amide of Gly52. The carboxylate of Glu145 also makes a hydrogen bond with that of Glu65, suggesting that one or both may be protonated. Thus, the loss of peptidase activity at pH > 7 may in part be due to deprotonation of Glu145. The active site does not reveal exposed peptide amides and carbonyl oxygen atoms that could interact with substrate in an extended beta-sheet fashion. The fold of the polypeptide backbone is completely different than that of trypsin or subtilisin, suggesting that this is a third example of convergent molecular evolution to a common enzymatic activity. Furthermore, it is suggested that the active site sequence motif "G-X-S-X-G/A", often considered the hallmark of serine peptidase or esterase activity, is fortuitous and not the result of divergent evolution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Crystal structure of allophycocyanin from red algae Porphyra yezoensis at 2.2-A resolution.

The crystal structure of allophycocyanin from red algae Porphyra yezoensis (APC-PY) at 2.2-A resolution has been determined by the molecular replacement method. The crystal belongs to space group R32 with cell parameters a = b = 105.3 A, c = 189.4 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees. After several cycles of refinement using program X-PLOR and model building based on the electron density map, the crystallographic R-factor converged to 19.3% (R-free factor is 26.9%) in the range of 10.0 to 2.2 A. The r.m.s. deviations of bond length and angles are 0.015 A and 2.9 degrees, respectively. In the crystal, two APC-PY trimers associate face to face into a hexamer. The assembly of two trimers within the hexamer is similar to that of C-phycocyanin (C-PC) and R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) hexamers, but the assembly tightness of the two trimers to the hexamer is not so high as that in C-PC and R-PE hexamers. The chromophore-protein interactions and possible pathway of energy transfer were discussed. Phycocyanobilin 1alpha84 of APC-PY forms 5 hydrogen bonds with 3 residues in subunit 2beta of another monomer. In R-PE and C-PC, chromophore 1alpha84 only forms 1 hydrogen bond with 2beta77 residue in subunit 2beta. This result may support and explain great spectrum difference exists between APC trimer and monomer.     

Inhibition of proteinase K by phosphorylated sugars.

Proteolysis of lactate dehydrogenase, aldolase and the synthetic substrate N-succinylalanylalanylalanyl-p-nitroanilide by proteinase K is inhibited by glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-1,6-biphosphate. Analysis of the kinetic data obtained with the synthetic substrate indicates that the inhibition is a mixed-type and that more than one inhibitor molecule binds to proteinase K. Glucose and fructose are ineffective as inhibitors. In the presence of 0.2-4 mM fructose-1,6-biphosphate, aldolase becomes more susceptible to proteolysis, probably as a result of a conformational change induced by the substrate.     

Crystal structure of the extracellular domain of mouse RANK ligand at 2.2-A resolution.

Bone remodeling involves the resorption of bone by osteoclasts and the synthesis of bone matrix by osteoblasts. Receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand (RANKL, also known as ODF and OPGL), a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, triggers osteoclastogenesis by forming a complex with its receptor, RANK. We have determined the crystal structure of the extracellular domain of mouse RANKL at 2.2-A resolution. The structure reveals that the RANKL extracellular domain is trimeric, which was also shown by analytical ultracentrifugation, and each subunit has a beta-strand jellyroll topology like the other members of the TNF family. A comparison of RANKL with TNF beta and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), whose structures were determined to be in the complex form with their respective receptor, reveals conserved and specific features of RANKL in the TNF superfamily and suggests the presence of key residues of RANKL for receptor binding.     

Structure of a recombinant calmodulin from Drosophila melanogaster refined at 2.2-A resolution

The crystal structure of calmodulin (Mr 16,700, 148 residues) from Drosophila melanogaster as expressed in a bacterial system has been determined and refined at 2.2-A resolution. Starting with the structure of mammalian calmodulin, we produced an extensively refitted and refined model with a conventional crystallographic R value of 0.197 for the 5,239 reflections (F greater than or equal to 2 sigma (F)) within the 10.0-2.2-A resolution range. The model includes 1,164 protein atoms, 4 calcium ions, and 78 water molecules and has root mean square deviations from standard values of 0.018 A for bond lengths and 0.043 A for angle distances. The overall structure is similar to mammalian calmodulin, with a seven-turn central helix connecting the two calcium-binding domains. The "dumb-bell" shaped molecule contains seven alpha-helices and four "EF hand" calcium-binding sites. Although the amino acid sequences of mammalian and Drosophila calmodulins differ by only three conservative amino acid changes, the refined model reveals a number of significant differences between the two structures. Superimposition of the structures yields a root mean square deviation of 1.22 A for the 1,120 equivalent atoms. The calcium-binding domains have a root mean square deviation of 0.85 A for the 353 equivalent atoms. There are also differences in the amino terminus, the bend of the central alpha-helix, and the orientations of some of the side chains.     

Refined x-ray structure of papain.E-64-c complex at 2.1-A resolution.

E-64-c, a synthetic cysteine protease inhibitor designed from E-64, binds to papain through a thioether covalent bond. The x-ray diffraction data for 2.1-A resolution were used to determine the three-dimensional structure of this complex and refined it to R = 0.159. 0.159. In the complex structure, the configurational conversion from S to R took place on the epoxy carbon of E-64-c, implying that the nucleophilic attack of the Cys-25 thiol group occurs at the opposite side of the epoxy oxygen atom. The leucyl and isoamylamide groups of E-64-c were strongly fixed to papain S subsites by specific interactions, including hydrogen bonding to the Gly-66 residue. The carboxyl-terminal anion of E-64-c formed an electrostatic interaction with the protonated His-159 imidazole ring (O-...HN+ = 3.76 A) and consequently prevented the participation of this residue in the hydrolytic charge-relay system. No significant distortion caused by the binding of E-64-c was shown in the secondary structure of papain. It is important to note that inhibitor and substrate have opposite binding modes for the peptide groups. The possible relationship between the binding mode and inhibitory activity is discussed on the basis of the crystal structure of this complex.     

Three-dimensional structure of proteinase K at 0.15-nm resolution

The crystal and molecular structure of proteinase K was determined by X-ray diffraction data to 0.15-nm resolution. The enzyme belongs to the subtilisin family with an active-site catalytic triad Asp39--His69--Ser224 but is a representative of a subgroup with a free Cys73 close to and 'below' the active His69. Besides this Cys72, proteinase K has two disulfide bonds, Cys34--Cys123 and Cys178--Cys249, which contribute to the stability of the tertiary structure consisting of an extended central parallel beta-sheet decorated by six alpha-helices, three short antiparallel beta-sheets, 18 beta-turns and involving several internal, structurally important water molecules. Proteinase K exhibits two Ca2+-binding sites, one very strong and the other weak, which were the sites of the heavy atoms (Pb2+, Sm3+) used to solve the crystal structure. The weak binding site is liganded to the N and C termini, Thr16 and Asp260, and is only incompletely coordinated by oxygen ligands. The strong binding site is coordinated in the form of a pentagonal bipyramid with the side chain carboxylate of Asp200 and the C = O of Pro175 as apex, and C = O of Val177 and four water molecules in the equatorial plane. Upon removal of this Ca2+, proteinase K loses activity which is interpreted in terms of a local structural deformation involving the substrate-recognition site (Ser132--Gly136), probably associated with a cis----trans isomerization of cis Pro171. Several water molecules are located in the active site. One, W335, is positioned in the 'oxyanion hole' and is displaced by the C = O of the scissile peptide bond of the substrate, as indicated by crystallographic studies with peptide chloromethane inhibitors. Based on these experiments, a reaction mechanism is proposed where the peptide substrate forms a three-stranded antiparallel pleated sheet with the recognition site of proteinase K consisting of Ser132--Leu133--Gly134 on one side and Gly100--Ser101 on the other, followed by expulsion of the oxyanion hole water W335 and hydrolytic cleavage by the Asp39--His69--Serr224 triad. These latter residues display low thermal motion corresponding to well-defined geometry and are hardly accessible to solvent molecules, whereas the recognition-site amino acids are more flexible and partially exposed to solvent.     

Structure of a ternary complex of proteinase K,mercury, and a substrate-analogue hexa-peptide at 2.2 Å resolution

The crystal structure of a ternary complex of proteinase K, Hg(II) and a hexapeptide N-Ac-Pro-Ala-Pro-Phe-Pro-Ala-NH₂ has been determined at 2.2 Å resolution and refined to an R factor of 0.172 for 12,910 reflections. The mercury atom occupies two alternate sites, each of which was assigned an occupancy of 0.45. These two sites are bridged by Cys-73 Sγ which forms covalent bonds to both. Both mercury sites form regular polyhedrons involving atoms from residues Asp-39, His-69, Cys-73, His-72, Met-225, and Wat-324. The complex formation with mercury seems to disturb the stereochemistry of the residues of the catalytic triad Asp-39, His-69, and Ser-224 appreciably, thus reducing the enzymatic activity of proteinase K to 15%. The electron density in the difference Fourier map shows that the hexapeptide occupies the S1 subsite predominantly and the standard recognition site constituted by Ser-132 to Gly-136 and Gly-100 to Tyr-104 segments is virtually empty. The hexapeptide is held firmly through a series of hydrogen bonds involving protein atoms and water molecules. As a result of complex formation, Asp-39, His-69, Met-225, Ile-220, Ser-219, Thr-223, and Ser-224 residues move appreciably to accommodate the mercury atoms and the hexapeptide. The largest movement is observed for Met-225 which is involved in multiple interactions with both mercury and the hexapeptide. The activity results indicate an inhibition rate of 95%, as a result of the combined effect of mercury and hexapeptide. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Structure of wheat serine carboxypeptidase II at 3.5-A resolution. A new class of serine proteinase

The structure of serine carboxypeptidase II from wheat bran has been determined to 3.5-A resolution by multiple isomorphous replacement, solvent flattening, and crystallographic refinement. The amino acid sequence has been fit to the electron density map and the model refined to a conventional crystallographic R factor of 20.9%. The molecule is an alpha + beta protein and contains a "catalytic triad" (Asp338, His397, and Ser146) similar in arrangement to those in chymotrypsin and subtilisin. The -fold of the polypeptide backbone is, however, completely different from those enzymes. This suggests that this is a third example of convergent evolution to a common enzymatic mechanism. The -fold is, on the other hand, surprisingly similar to that of the zinc proteinase carboxypeptidase A.     

Structure of the IIA domain of the glucose permease of Bacillus subtilis at 2.2-A resolution

The crystal structure of the IIA domain of the glucose permease of the phosphoenolpyruvate:sugar phosphotransferase system (PTS) from Bacillus subtilis has been determined at 2.2-A resolution. Refinement of the structure is in progress, and the current R-factor is 0.201 (R = sigma h parallel Fo magnitude of - Fc parallel/sigma h magnitude of Fo, where magnitude of Fo and magnitude of Fc are the observed and calculated structure factor amplitudes, respectively) for data between 6.0- and 2.2-A resolution for which F greater than or equal to 2 sigma (F). This is an antiparallel beta-barrel structure that incorporates "Greek key" and "jellyroll" topological motifs. A shallow depression is formed at the active site by part of the beta-sheet and an omega-loop flanking one side of the sheet. His83, the histidyl residue which is the phosphorylation target of HPr and which transfers the phosphoryl group to the IIB domain of the permease, is located at the C-terminus of a beta-strand. The N epsilon atom is partially solvated and also interacts with the N epsilon atom of a second histidyl residue, His68, located at the N-terminus of an adjacent beta-strand, suggesting they share a proton. The geometry of the hydrogen bond is imperfect, though. Electrostatic interactions with other polar groups and van der Waals contacts with the side chains of two flanking phenylalanine residues assure the precise orientation of the imidazole rings. The hydrophobic nature of the surface around the His83-His68 pair may be required for protein-protein recognition by HPr or/and by the IIB domain of the permease. The side chains of two aspartyl residues, Asp31 and Asp87, are oriented toward each other across a narrow groove, about 7 A from the active-site His83, suggesting they may play a role in protein-protein interaction. A model of the phosphorylated form of the molecule is proposed, in which oxygen atoms of the phosphoryl group interact with the side chain of His68 and with the main-chain nitrogen atom of a neighboring residue, Val89. The model, in conjunction with previously reported site-directed mutagenesis experiments, suggests that the phosphorylation of His83 may be accompanied by the protonation of His68. This may be important for the interaction with the IIB domain of the permease and/or play a catalytic role in the phosphoryl transfer from IIA to IIB.     

Inhibition of enolase: the crystal structures of enolase-Ca2(+)- 2-phosphoglycerate and enolase-Zn2(+)-phosphoglycolate complexes at 2.2-A resolution

Enolase is a metalloenzyme which catalyzes the elimination of H2O from 2-phosphoglyceric acid (PGA) to form phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Mg2+ and Zn2+ are cofactors which strongly bind and activate the enzyme. Ca2+ also binds strongly but does not produce activity. Phosphoglycolate (PG) is a competitive inhibitor of enolase. The structures of two inhibitory ternary complexes: yeast enolase-Ca2(+)-PGA and yeast enolase-Zn2(+)-PG, were determined by X-ray diffraction to 2.2-A resolution and were refined by crystallographic least-squares to R = 14.8% and 15.7%, respectively, with good geometries of the models. These structures are compared with the structure of the precatalytic ternary complex enolase-Mg2(+)-PGA/PEP (Lebioda & Stec, 1991). In the complex enolase-Ca2(+)-PGA, the PGA molecule coordinates to the Ca2+ ion with the hydroxyl group, as in the precatalytic complex. The conformation of the PGA molecule is however different. In the active complex, the organic part of the PGA molecule is planar, similar to the product. In the inhibitory complex, the carboxylic group is in an orthonormal conformation. In the inhibitory complex enolase-Zn2(+)-PG, the PG molecule coordinates with the carboxylic group in a monodentate mode. In both inhibitory complexes, the conformational changes in flexible loops, which were observed in the precatalytic complex, do not take place. The lack of catalytic metal ion binding suggests that these conformational changes are necessary for the formation of the catalytic metal ion binding site.     

Crystal structure of glucoamylase from Aspergillus awamori var. X100 to 2.2-A resolution.

The crystal structure of a catalytically active fragment of glucoamylase-I from Aspergillus awamori var. X100 has been determined to a resolution of 2.2 A. Twelve of its 13 alpha-helices are arranged into an "alpha/alpha-barrel." An inner core of six mutually parallel alpha-helices are connected to each other through a peripheral set of six alpha-helices. The peripheral helices are parallel to each other, but approximately antiparallel to the inner core of alpha-helices. The putative active site lies in the packing void of the inner set of helices. The last 30 residues of the enzyme comprise a separate domain containing 10 sites of O-glycosylation. Each instance of O-glycosylation involves a serine or threonine side chain linked to the alpha-anomer of a single mannosyl residue. The O-glycosylated domain is in an extended conformation, wrapping around the "waist" of the alpha/alpha-barrel. Two additional sites of N-glycosylation contribute well ordered glycosyl chains that lie in proximity to the belt of O-glycosylation. The model developed for glucoamylase is a rare and valuable structural example of a glycoprotein and an exo-acting amylolytic enzyme.     

Active-site geometry of proteinase K. Crystallographic study of its complex with a dipeptide chloromethyl ketone inhibitor

Proteinase K (EC 3.4.21.14) from the fungus Tritirachium album Limber is the most active known serine endopeptidase. The sequence of its 275-residue long polypeptide chain and its three-dimensional folding show a high degree of homology with the bacterial subtilisin proteases. Using difference Fourier methods, the binding mode of the synthetic carbobenzoxy-Ala-Ala-chloromethyl ketone inhibitor to the active site of proteinase K was determined. In several cycles of restrained least-squares, the enzyme-inhibitor complex was refined to a current R = 22% for 9400 X-ray diffraction data between 2.2 and 5.0 A resolution. The inhibitor is attached to proteinase K by two covalent bonds: one between the methylene carbon of the inhibitor and N epsilon 2 of the catalytic His 68, the other between the ketone carbon atom of the inhibitor and O gamma of the catalytic Ser 221. In addition, two hydrogen bonds donated by the peptide NH of Ser 221 and by the side chain NH2 of Asn 160 hold the hemiketal O- in the oxyanion hole. The peptide inhibitor is further hydrogen bonded to the proteinase polypeptide chain in a three-stranded antiparallel pleated sheet.     

Three-dimensional structure of the complex of the Rhizopus chinensis carboxyl proteinase and pepstatin at 2.5-A resolution

An X-ray diffraction analysis has been carried out at 2.5-A resolution of the three-dimensional structure of the Rhizopus chinensis carboxyl proteinase complexed with pepstatin. The resulting model of the complex supports the hypothesis [Marciniszyn, J., Hartsuck, J.A., & Tang, J. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 7088-7094] that statine (3-hydroxy-4-amino-6-methylheptanoic acid) approaches an analogue of the transition state for catalysis. The way in which pepstatin binds to the enzyme can be extended to provide a model of substrate binding and a model of the transition-state complex. This in turn has led to a proposed mechanism of action based on general acid-base catalysis with no covalent intermediates. These predictions are in general agreement with kinetic studies using several carboxyl proteinases, which together with their sequence homology and their common three-dimensional structures suggest that this mechanism can be extrapolated to all carboxyl proteinases.     

The x-ray structure of the periplasmic galactose binding protein from Salmonella typhimurium at 3.0-A resolution

The x-ray structure of the periplasmic galactose binding protein from Salmonella typhimurium, the specific receptor for taxis toward, and high-affinity transport of, galactose has been solved at 3.0-A resolution using multiple isomorphous replacement. The path of the polypeptide chain has been traced, and a model structure consisting of 292 amino acids has been fit to the electron density map. The overall shape of the molecule is that of a prolate ellipsoid, with dimensions 35 X 35 X 65 A. The protein consists of two similar domains of roughly equal size, related by an axis of pseudosymmetry, and separated by a deep cleft about 8 A wide. Each domain has a core of parallel beta sheet surrounded by five alpha helices, built by alternating strands of sheet and helix in a repeating pattern. Approximately 36% of the residues are involved in alpha helices, and 27% in beta sheet. The tertiary structure has been compared to that of the Escherichia coli arabinose binding protein (Gilliland, G.L., and Quiocho, F. A. (1981) J. Mol. Biol. 146, 341-362), a periplasmic receptor which is involved in transport, but not in chemotaxis. The overall folding of these two molecules is very similar, with the exception of two areas on the surface of the molecule on the long sides of the prolate ellipsoid. The observed variations are adequate to explain the differences in interaction of L-arabinose binding protein and galactose binding protein with the membrane proteins for transport and chemotaxis.     

Structure of calmodulin refined at 2.2 A resolution

The crystal structure of mammalian calmodulin has been refined at 2.2 A (1 A = 0.1 nm) resolution using a restrained least-squares method. The final crystallographic R-factor, based on 6685 reflections in the range 2.2 A less than or equal to d less than or equal to 5.0 A with intensities exceeding 2.5 sigma, is 0.175. Bond lengths and bond angles in the molecule have root-mean-square deviations from ideal values of 0.016 A and 1.7 degrees, respectively. The refined model includes residues 5 to 147, four Ca2+ and 69 water molecules per molecule of calmodulin. The electron density for residues 1 to 4 and 148 is poorly defined, and they are not included in the model. The molecule is shaped somewhat like a dumbbell, with an overall length of 65 A; the two lobes are connected by a seven-turn alpha-helix. Prominent secondary structural features include seven alpha-helices, four Ca2+-binding loops, and two short, double-stranded antiparallel beta-sheets between pairs of adjacent Ca2+-binding loops. The four Ca2+-binding domains in calmodulin have a typical EF hand conformation (helix-loop-helix) and are similar to those described in other Ca2+-binding proteins. The X-ray structure determination of calmodulin shows a large hydrophobic cleft in each half of the molecule. These hydrophobic regions probably represent the sites of interaction with many of the pharmacological agents known to bind to calmodulin.     

Inhibition of proteinase K activity by copper(II) ions

Disease-related prion protein, PrPSc, can be distinguished from its normal cellular precursor, PrPC, by its detergent insolubility and partial resistance to proteolysis. Several studies have suggested that copper(II) ions can convert PrPC to a proteinase K-resistant conformation; however, interpretation of these studies is complicated by potential inhibition of proteinase K (PK) by copper(II) ions. Here we have examined directly the kinetic and equilibrium effects of copper(II) ions on PK activity using a simple synthetic substrate, p-nitrophenyl acetate. We show that at equilibrium two to three copper(II) ions bind stoichiometrically to PK and destroy its activity (Kd < 1 microM). This inhibition has two components, an initial reversible and weak binding phase and a slower, irreversible abolition of activity with a half-time of 6 min at saturating copper(II) ion concentrations. Copper(II) ions produce a similar biphasic inhibition of PK activity in the presence of brain homogenate but only when the copper(II) ion concentration exceeds that of the chelating components present in brain tissue. Under these conditions, the apparent resistance of PrPC to proteolysis by PK appears to be directly attributable to the inhibition of PK activity by copper(II) ions.     

Crystal structure of a phycourobilin-containing phycoerythrin at 1.90-A resolution.

The structure of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE) from the red alga Griffithsia monilis was solved at 1.90-A resolution by molecular replacement, using the atomic coordinates of cyanobacterial phycocyanin from Fremyella diplosiphon as a model. The crystallographic R factor for the final model is 17.5% (Rfree 22.7%) for reflections in the range 100-1.90 A. The model consists of an (alphabeta)2 dimer with an internal noncrystallographic dyad and a fragment of the gamma-polypeptide. The alpha-polypeptide (164 amino acid residues) has two covalently bound phycoerythrobilins at positions alpha82 and alpha139. The beta-polypeptide (177 residues) has two phycoerythrobilins bound to residues beta82 and beta158 and one phycourobilin covalently attached to rings A and D at residues beta50 and beta61, respectively. The electron density of the gamma-polypeptide is mostly averaged out by threefold crystallographic symmetry, but a dipeptide (Gly-Tyr) and one single Tyr could be modeled. These two tyrosine residues of the gamma-polypeptide are in close proximity to the phycoerythrobilins at position beta82 of two symmetry-related beta-polypeptides and are related by the same noncrystallographic dyad as the (alphabeta)2 dimer. Possible energy transfer pathways are discussed briefly.     

Structure of a serine protease proteinase K from Tritirachium album limber at 0.98 A resolution

X-ray diffraction data at atomic resolution to 0.98 A with 136 380 observed unique reflections were collected using a high quality proteinase K crystals grown under microgravity conditions and cryocooled. The structure has been refined anisotropically with REFMAC and SHELX-97 with R-factors of 11.4 and 12.8%, and R(free)-factors of 12.4 and 13.5%, respectively. The refined model coordinates have an overall rms shifts of 0.23 A relative to the same structure determined at room temperature at 1.5 A resolution. Several regions of the main chain and the side chains, which were not observed earlier have been seen more clearly. For example, amino acid 207, which was reported earlier as Ser has been clearly identified as Asp. Furthermore, side-chain disorders of 8 of 279 residues in the polypeptide have been identified. Hydrogen atoms appear as significant peaks in the F(o) - F(c) difference electron density map accounting for an estimated 46% of all hydrogen atoms at 2sigma level. Furthermore, the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms can be differentiated clearly in the electron density maps. Hydrogen bonds are clearly identified in the serine protease catalytic triad (Ser-His-Asp). Furthermore, electron density is observed for an unusual, short hydrogen bond between aspartic acid and histidine in the catalytic triad. The short hydrogen bond, designated "catalytic hydrogen bond", occurs as part of an elaborate hydrogen bond network, involving Asp of the catalytic triad. Though unusual, these features seem to be conserved in other serine proteases. Finally there are clear electron density peaks for the hydrogen atoms associated with the Ogamma of Ser 224 and Ndelta1 of His 69.