Structure and potential C-terminal dimerization of a recombinant mutant of surfactant-associated protein C in chloroform/methanol

Eur J Biochem. 2004 Jun;271(11):2076-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.2004.04106.x.

Abstract

The solution structure of a recombinant mutant [rSP-C (FFI)] of the human surfactant-associated protein C (hSP-C) in a mixture of chloroform and methanol was determined by high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. rSP-C (FFI) contains a helix from Phe5 to the C-terminal Leu34 and is thus longer by two residues than the helix of porcine SP-C (pSP-C), which is reported to start at Val7 in the same solvent. Two sets of resonances at the C-terminus of the peptide were observed, which are explained by low-order oligomerization, probably dimerization of rSP-C (FFI) in its alpha-helical form. The dimerization may be induced by hydrogen bonding of the C-terminal carboxylic groups or by the strictly conserved C-terminal heptapeptide segment with a motif similar to the GxxxG dimerization motif of glycophorin A. Dimerization at the heptapeptide segment would be consistent with findings based on electrospray ionization MS data, chemical cross-linking studies, and CNBr cleavage data.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Chloroform / chemistry
  • Dimerization
  • Humans
  • Methanol / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Mutation
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C / chemistry*
  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Swine

Substances

  • Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Chloroform
  • Methanol