Distal Pocket (distal + pocket)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The X-ray structure determination of bovine carbonmonoxy hemoglobin at 2.1 Å resoultion and its relationship to the quaternary structures of other hemoglobin crystal forms

PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 6 2001
Martin K. Safo
Abstract Crystallographic studies of the intermediate states between unliganded and fully liganded hemoglobin (Hb) have revealed a large range of subtle but functionally important structural differences. Only one T state has been reported, whereas three other quaternary states (the R state, B state, and R2 or Y state) for liganded Hb have been characterized; other studies have defined liganded Hbs that are intermediate between the T and R states. The high-salt crystal structure of bovine carbonmonoxy (CO bovine) Hb has been determined at a resolution of 2.1 Å and is described here. A detailed comparison with other crystallographically solved Hb forms (T, R, R2 or Y) shows that the quaternary structure of CO bovine Hb closely resembles R state Hb. However, our analysis of these structures has identified several important differences between CO bovine Hb and R state Hb. Compared with the R state structures, the ,-subunit N-terminal region has shifted closer to the central water cavity in CO bovine Hb. In addition, both the ,- and ,-subunits in CO bovine Hb have more constrained heme environments that appear to be intermediate between the T and R states. Moreover, the distal pocket of the ,-subunit heme in CO bovine Hb shows significantly closer interaction between the bound CO ligand and the Hb distal residues Val 63(E11) and His 63(E7). The constrained heme groups and the increased steric contact involving the CO ligand and the distal heme residues relative to human Hb may explain in part the low intrinsic oxygen affinity of bovine Hb. [source]


X-ray structure of the metcyano form of dehaloperoxidase from Amphitrite ornata: evidence for photoreductive dissociation of the iron,cyanide bond

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 7 2010
V. S. De Serrano
X-ray crystal structures of the metcyano form of dehaloperoxidase-hemoglobin (DHP A) from Amphitrite ornata (DHPCN) and the C73S mutant of DHP A (C73SCN) were determined using synchrotron radiation in order to further investigate the geometry of diatomic ligands coordinated to the heme iron. The DHPCN structure was also determined using a rotating-anode source. The structures show evidence of photoreduction of the iron accompanied by dissociation of bound cyanide ion (CN,) that depend on the intensity of the X-ray radiation and the exposure time. The electron density is consistent with diatomic molecules located in two sites in the distal pocket of DHPCN. However, the identities of the diatomic ligands at these two sites are not uniquely determined by the electron-density map. Consequently, density functional theory calculations were conducted in order to determine whether the bond lengths, angles and dissociation energies are consistent with bound CN, or O2 in the iron-bound site. In addition, molecular-dynamics simulations were carried out in order to determine whether the dynamics are consistent with trapped CN, or O2 in the second site of the distal pocket. Based on these calculations and comparison with a previously determined X-ray crystal structure of the C73S,O2 form of DHP [de Serrano et al. (2007), Acta Cryst. D63, 1094,1101], it is concluded that CN, is gradually replaced by O2 as crystalline DHP is photoreduced at 100,K. The ease of photoreduction of DHP A is consistent with the reduction potential, but suggests an alternative activation mechanism for DHP A compared with other peroxidases, which typically have reduction potentials that are 0.5,V more negative. The lability of CN, at 100,K suggests that the distal pocket of DHP A has greater flexibility than most other hemoglobins. [source]


Distal histidine conformational flexibility in dehaloperoxidase from Amphitrite ornata

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 1 2009
Zuxu Chen
The enzyme dehaloperoxidase (DHP) from the terebellid polychaete Amphitrite ornata is a heme protein which has a globin fold but can function as both a hemoglobin and a peroxidase. As a peroxidase, DHP is capable of converting 2,4,6-trihalophenols to the corresponding 2,6-dihaloquinones in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. As a hemoglobin, DHP cycles between the oxy and deoxy states as it reversibly binds oxygen for storage. Here, it is reported that the distal histidine, His55, exhibits conformational flexibility in the deoxy form and is consequently observed in two solvent-exposed conformations more than 9.5,Å away from the heme. These conformations are analogous to the open conformation of sperm whale myoglobin. The heme iron in deoxy ferrous DHP is five-coordinate and has an out-of-plane displacement of 0.25,Å from the heme plane. The observation of five-coordinate heme iron with His55 in a remote solvent-exposed conformation is consistent with the hypothesis that His55 interacts with heme iron ligands through hydrogen bonding in the closed conformation. Since His55 is also displaced by the binding of 4-iodophenol in an internal pocket, these results provide new insight into the correlation between heme iron ligation, molecular binding in the distal pocket and the conformation of the distal histidine in DHP. [source]


Structure of relaxed-state human hemoglobin: insight into ligand uptake, transport and release

ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 1 2009
Joy D. Jenkins
Hemoglobin was one of the first protein structures to be determined by X-ray crystallography and served as a basis for the two-state MWC model for the mechanism of allosteric proteins. Since then, there has been an ongoing debate about whether Hb allostery involves the unliganded tense T state and the liganded relaxed R state or whether it involves the T state and an ensemble of liganded relaxed states. In fact, the former model is inconsistent with many functional observations, as well as the recent discoveries of several relaxed-state Hb structures such as RR2, R3 and R2. One school of thought has suggested the R2 state to be the physiologically relevant relaxed end state, with the R state mediating the T,R2 transition. X-ray studies have been performed on human carbonmonoxy Hb at a resolution of 2.8,Å. The ensuing liganded quaternary structure is different from previously reported liganded Hb structures. The distal ,-heme pocket is the largest when compared with other liganded Hb structures, partly owing to rotation of ,His63(E7) out of the distal pocket, creating a ligand channel to the solvent. The structure also shows unusually smaller ,- and ,-clefts. Results from this study taken in conjunction with previous findings suggest that multiple liganded Hb states with different quaternary structures may be involved in ligand uptake, stabilization, transport and release. [source]