Search results for "Peptide sequence"

On the Importance of Carbohydrate-Aromatic Interactions for the Molecular Recognition of Oligosaccharides by Proteins: NMR Studies of the Structure a…

2005

The specific interaction of a variety of modified hevein domains to chitooligosaccharides has been studied by NMR spectroscopy in order to assess the importance of aromatic-carbohydrate interactions for the molecular recognition of neutral sugars. These mutant AcAMP2-like peptides, which have 4-fluoro-phenylalanine, tryptophan, or 2-naphthylalanine at the key interacting positions, have been prepared by solid-phase synthesis. Their three-dimensional structures, when bound to the chitin-derived trisaccharide, have been deduced by NMR spectroscopy. By using DYANA and restrained molecular dynamics simulations with the AMBER 5.0 force field, the three-dimensional structures of the protein-sugar…

Conformational preferences of side-chain protected amino acid residues and their impact in peptide synthesis

1983

Using the host-guest technique, tentative scales for the helix-inducing power and the β-structure-forming potential of various side-chain protected amino acid residues in trifluoro-ethanol are established mainly by CD measurements. The generally lower tendency for β-structure formation of the host–guest peptides compared to that of the host peptide is discussed. The influence of these conformational features on the solubility of the peptides is also pointed out.

Expression of silicatein in spicules from the Baikalian sponge

2005

Lake Baikal harbors the largest diversity of sponge species [phylum Porifera] among all freshwater biotopes. The abundantly occurring species Lubomirskia baicalensis was used to study the seasonal silicatein metabolism; the spicules of this species have an unusually thick axial filament, consisting of silicatein, which remains constant in diameter during their growth. In the course of maturation, the size of the silicic acid shell grows, until the final diameter of the spicules of about 8 microm is reached. The seasonal content of silicatein was assessed by use of antibodies raised against silicatein; they stained specifically the axial filaments. In addition we determined, by application o…

Insect Immunity

2001

Two novel antimicrobial peptides, which we propose to name termicin and spinigerin, have been isolated from the fungus-growing termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (heterometabole insect, Isoptera). Termicin is a 36-amino acid residue antifungal peptide, with six cysteines arranged in a disulfide array similar to that of insect defensins. In contrast to most insect defensins, termicin is C-terminally amidated. Spinigerin consists of 25 amino acids and is devoid of cysteines. It is active against bacteria and fungi. Termicin and spinigerin show no obvious sequence similarities with other peptides. Termicin is constitutively present in hemocyte granules and in salivary glands. The presence of …

Developments in the Synthesis of Glycopeptides Containing Glycosyl l-Asparagine, l-Serine, and l-Threonine

1994

S-type lectins occur also in invertebrates: high conservation of the carbohydrate recognition domain in the lectin genes from the marine sponge Geodi…

1993

The marine sponge Geodia cydonium contains several lectins. The main component, called lectin-1, is composed of three to four identical subunits. The subunits of the lectins were cloned from a cDNA library; two clones were obtained. From the deduced aa sequence of one clone, LECT-1, a mol. wt of 15,313 Da is calculated; this value is in good agreement with mass spectrometric analysis of 15,453 +/- 25 Da. The sequence of another clone, LECT-2, was analysed and the aa sequence was deduced (15,433 Da). The two subunits have a framework sequence of 38 conserved aa which are characteristic for the carbohydrate-binding site of vertebrate S-type lectins. Clustering of lectin sequences of various s…

New biological aspects of Chromogranin A-derived peptides: Focus on vasostatins

2007

Chromogranin A (CgA), one component of the granin family, represents the major soluble protein co-stored and co-released with catecholamines, within chromaffin cells secretory granules. It is considered a diagnostic and prognostic marker of several diseases, including a variety of tumours and cardiac heart failure. It also represents a precursor of biologically active fragments, generated after proteolytic cleavage at the level of the multiple pairs of dibasic sites which enrich its sequence. CgA, and its derived fragments show an old evolutionary history being ubiquitously present throughout the animal word, from mammals to invertebrates. Their biological functions include control of hormo…

2004

Background Arabidopsis thaliana copper metallochaperone CCH is a functional homologue of yeast antioxidant ATX1, involved in cytosolic copper transport. In higher plants, CCH has to be transported to specialised cells through plasmodesmata, being the only metallochaperone reported to date that leaves the cell where it is synthesised. CCH has two different domains, the N-terminal domain conserved among other copper-metallochaperones and a C-terminal domain absent in all the identified non-plant metallochaperones. The aim of the present study was the biochemical and biophysical characterisation of the C-terminal domain of the copper metallochaperone CCH.

Interaction of glutamic-acid-rich proteins with the cGMP signalling pathway in rod photoreceptors.

1999

The assembly of signalling molecules into macromolecular complexes (transducisomes) provides specificity, sensitivity and speed in intracellular signalling pathways. Rod photoreceptors in the eye contain an unusual set of glutamic-acid-rich proteins (GARPs) of unknown function. GARPs exist as two soluble forms, GARP1 and GARP2, and as a large cytoplasmic domain (GARP' part) of the beta-subunit of the cyclic GMP-gated channel. Here we identify GARPs as multivalent proteins that interact with the key players of cGMP signalling, phosphodiesterase and guanylate cyclase, and with a retina-specific ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCR), through four, short, repetitive sequences. In electron mic…

Uncapping the N-terminus of a ubiquitous His-tag peptide enhances its Cu2+ binding affinity

2019

Metal complexes with an N-terminally free and N-terminally acetylated polyhistidine region of Echis ocellatus venom, with an interesting His-rich motif present in numerous metal binding proteins from all kingdoms of life (DHDHDHHHHHHPGSSV-NH2 and Ac-DHDHDHHHHHHPGSSV-NH2) show the role of the free amino group in the thermodynamic enhancement of Cu2+, Ni2+ and Zn2+ binding. In the studied sequences, Cu2+ can be coordinated by different sets of imidazole rings, and a 3–10 helix is detected in close proximity of Cu2+ binding sites. The complexes are more stable than those with a typical His6-tag, despite a similar copper(II) coordination mode in both cases.