PMID: 8605629 , Related PDB ids: 1DSL, 1GAM

Authors:

Norledge BV, Mayr EM, Glockshuber R, Bateman OA, Slingsby C, Jaenicke R, Driessen HP

Title:

The X-ray structures of two mutant crystallin domains shed light on the evolution of multi-domain proteins.

Journal:

Nat Struct Biol. 1996 Mar;3(3):267-74.

Abstract:

We use protein engineering and crystallography to simulate aspects of the early evolution of beta gamma-crystallins by observing how a single domain oligomerizes in response to changes in a sequence extension. The crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of gamma beta-crystallin with its four-residue C-terminal extension shows that the domain does not form a symmetric homodimer analogous to the two-domain pairing in beta gamma-crystallins. Instead the C-terminal extension now forms heterologous interactions with other domains leading to the solvent exposure of the natural hydrophobic interface with a consequent loss in protein solubility. However, this domain truncated by just the C-terminal tyrosine forms a symmetric homodimer of domains in the crystal lattice.