1dtv: Difference between revisions

[[Image:1dtv.jpg|left|200px]]

'''NMR STRUCTURE OF THE LEECH CARBOXYPEPTIDASE INHIBITOR (LCI)'''

Leech carboxypeptidase inhibitor (LCI) is a novel protein inhibitor present in the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis. The structures of LCI free and bound to carboxypeptidase A2 (CPA2)have been determined by NMR and X-ray crystallography, respectively. The LCI structure defines a new protein motif that comprises a five-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet and one short alpha-helix. This structure is preserved in the complex with human CPA2 in the X-ray structure, where the contact regions between the inhibitor and the protease are defined. The C-terminal tail of LCI becomes rigid upon binding the protease as shown in the NMR relaxation studies, and it interacts with the carboxypeptidase in a substrate-like manner. The homology between the C-terminal tails of LCI and the potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor represents a striking example of convergent evolution dictated by the target protease. These new structures are of biotechnological interest since they could elucidate the control mechanism of metallo-carboxypeptidases and could be used as lead compounds for the search of fibrinolytic drugs.

1DTV is a [[Single protein]] structure of sequence from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis Hirudo medicinalis]. Full crystallographic information is available from [http://oca.weizmann.ac.il/oca-bin/ocashort?id=1DTV OCA].  

''Page seeded by [http://oca.weizmann.ac.il/oca OCA ] on Fri May  2 14:16:02 2008''