Structure of a Nudix protein from Pyrobaculum aerophilum reveals a dimer with two intersubunit beta-sheets

Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr. 2002 Apr;58(Pt 4):571-8. doi: 10.1107/s0907444902001191. Epub 2002 Mar 22.

Abstract

Nudix proteins, formerly called MutT homolog proteins, are a large family of proteins that play an important role in reducing the accumulation of potentially toxic compounds inside the cell. They hydrolyze a wide variety of substrates that are mainly composed of a nucleoside diphosphate linked to some other moiety X and thus are called Nudix hydrolases. Here, the crystal structure of a Nudix hydrolase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrobaculum aerophilum is reported. The structure was determined by the single-wavelength anomalous scattering method with data collected at the peak anomalous wavelength of an iridium-derivatized crystal. It reveals an extensive dimer interface, with each subunit contributing two strands to the beta-sheet of the other subunit. Individual subunits consist of a mixed highly twisted and curved beta-sheet of 11 beta-strands and two alpha-helices, forming an alpha-beta-alpha sandwich. The conserved Nudix box signature motif, which contains the essential catalytic residues, is located at the first alpha-helix and the beta-strand and loop preceding it. The unusually short connections between secondary-structural elements, together with the dimer form of the structure, are likely to contribute to the thermostability of the P. aerophilum Nudix protein.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Crystallization
  • Dimerization
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nudix Hydrolases
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Pyrophosphatases / chemistry*
  • Pyrophosphatases / isolation & purification
  • Pyrophosphatases / metabolism
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters / chemistry
  • Thermoproteaceae / chemistry*

Substances

  • Sulfuric Acid Esters
  • Pyrophosphatases

Associated data

  • PDB/1JRK
  • PDB/1K26
  • PDB/1K2E
  • PDB/1K2ESF
  • PDB/R1JRKSF
  • PDB/R1K26SF