Structural highlights
Function[SPON1_HUMAN] Cell adhesion protein that promotes the attachment of spinal cord and sensory neuron cells and the outgrowth of neurites in vitro. May contribute to the growth and guidance of axons in both the spinal cord and the PNS (By similarity). Major factor for vascular smooth muscle cell. Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedThe extracellular matrix protein F-spondin mediates axon guidance during neuronal development. Its N-terminal domain, termed the reelin-N domain, is conserved in F-spondins, reelins, and other extracellular matrix proteins. In this study, a recombinant human reelin-N domain has been expressed, purified, and shown to bind heparin. The crystal structure of the reelin-N domain resolved to 2.0 A reveals a variant immunoglobulin-like fold and potential heparin-binding sites. Substantial conformational variations even in secondary structure are observed between the two chemically identical reelin-N domains in one crystallographic asymmetric unit. The variations may result from extensive, highly specific interactions across the interface of the two reelin-N domains. The calculated values of buried surface area and the interface's shape complementarity are consistent with the formation of a weak dimer. The homophilic asymmetric dimer can potentially offer advantages in binding to ligands such as glycosaminoglycans, which may, in turn, bridge the two reelin-N domains and stabilize the dimer. The crystal structure of the heparin-binding reelin-N domain of f-spondin.,Tan K, Duquette M, Liu JH, Lawler J, Wang JH J Mol Biol. 2008 Sep 19;381(5):1213-23. Epub 2008 Jun 24. PMID:18602404[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. References
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