Cu2+ binding triggers alphaBoPrP assembly into insoluble laminar polymers |
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Authors: | González-Iglesias Reinerio Elvira Gema Rodríguez-Navarro José A Vélez Marisela Calero Miguel Pajares María A Gasset María |
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Institution: | Instituto Química-Física 'Rocasolano', CSIC, Serrano 119, E-28006, Madrid, Spain. |
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Abstract: | Cu(2+) binding is so far the best characterized property of the prion protein. This interaction has been mapped to the N-terminal domain of the prion protein where multiple His residues occur largely embedded within the repetitive PHGGGWGQ sequence known as octarepeats. When Cu(2+) interaction is studied using a solution of full-length bovine prion protein containing six octarepeats at protein concentrations above 25 microM, a drastic increase in solution turbidity is observed due to the formation of insoluble cation-protein complexes that appear as bidimensional polymer meshes. These bidimensional meshes consist of a single layer of protein molecules crosslinked by Cu(2+) cations. Polymer formation is a cooperative process that proceeds by nucleation of protein molecules with a Cu(2+) site occupancy of above 2. These results support the hypothesis that the N-terminal domain of prion protein is a ligand binding module that promotes crosslinked assembly, and suggest the existence of inter-repeat Cu(2+) sites. |
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