1a4j: Difference between revisions

[[Image:1a4j.gif|left|200px]]<br /><applet load="1a4j" size="350" color="white" frame="true" align="right" spinBox="true"  

The three-dimensional structure of an antibody (39-A11) that catalyzes a Diels-Alder reaction has been determined. The structure suggests that the antibody catalyzes this pericyclic reaction through a combination of packing and hydrogen-bonding interactions that control the relative geometries of the bound substrates and electronic distribution in the dienophile. A single somatic mutation, serine-91 of the light chain to valine, is largely responsible for the increase in affinity and catalytic activity of the affinity-matured antibody. Structural and functional studies of the germ-line precursor suggest that 39-A11 and related antibodies derive from a family of germ-line genes that have been selected throughout evolution for the ability of the encoded proteins to form a polyspecific combining site. Germ line-encoded antibodies of this type, which can rapidly evolve into high-affinity receptors for a broad range of structures, may help to expand the binding potential associated with the structural diversity of the primary antibody repertoire.

1A4J is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_protein Single protein] structure of sequence from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus_musculus Mus musculus]. Full crystallographic information is available from [http://oca.weizmann.ac.il/oca-bin/ocashort?id=1A4J OCA].  

[[Category: Romesburg, F E.]]

[[Category: Schultz, P G.]]

[[Category: Spiller, B W.]]

[[Category: Stevens, R C.]]

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