issue contents
February 2020 issue
research communications
The crystal structure of MP-4 from Mucuna pruriens was determined with improved resolution and the recently available gene sequence enabled further analysis of the structure.
PDB reference: MP-4, 6jbp
The structure of the capsid of the gene-therapy vector AAVhu.37 was obtained at 2.56 Å resolution by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy.
EMDB reference: AAVhu.37 capsid, EMD-20693
PDB reference: AAVhu.37 capsid, 6u95
Serine racemase (SR) is a PLP-dependent enzyme that converts L-serine to D-serine. A 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of the human SR holoenzyme with two point mutations (Cys2Asp, Cys6Asp) is presented and secondary-structure and tertiary-structure elements are analysed to redefine domain boundaries, structural arrangement and subdomain movement within the small domain by comparison with other holo and ligand-bound SR structures.
PDB reference: serine racemase, 6slh
Open access
The binding of a C(9)-cytisine derivative carrying a 3-(hydroxypropyl) modification to acetylcholine-binding protein was characterized using isothermal titration calorimetry and crystallography.
PDB reference: acetylcholine-binding protein–ligand complex, 6t9r
A co-crystal structure of the calpain PEF(S) domain bound to the Escherichia coli chaperone Hfq provides insight into the pitfalls of expression of the full-length heterodimeric calpain I complex.
Crystal structures of the cell-division protein FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli
In the presence of GTP, the tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ polymerizes into filamentous structures, which are key to cell division. The enzymatic domains of FtsZ from Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpFtsZ) and Escherichia coli (EcFtsZ) formed straight protofilaments in crystals, and both structures adopted relaxed conformations. The T3 loop adopted a unique open conformation in KpFtsZ, while the T3 loop of EcFtsZ was partially disordered.
Open access
Escherichia coli has served as the main model system for examining cell division in bacteria; however, the structure of the central cytokinesis protein FtsZ has not been determined to date. Here, high-resolution structures of E. coli FtsZ in GDP-bound and GTP-bound states are described.