Cox Daniel L, Pan Jianping, Singh Rajiv R P
Biophys J. 2006 Jul 15;91(2):L11-3. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.106.083642. Epub 2006 May 12.
We employ ab initio electronic structure calculations to obtain two structural models for copper bound in the strongest binding site of the noninfectious form of the prion protein. The models are compatible with available experimental constraints from electron spin resonance data. The bending of the peptide backbone attendant with the copper binding is not compatible with the requisite straight beta-strand backbone structure for the same sequence contained in two recently proposed models of the prion protein structure in its infectious form. We hypothesize that copper binding at this site is protective against conversion to the infectious form, discuss experimental data that appear to support and conflict with our hypothesis, and propose tests using recombinant prion protein, genetically modified cultured neurons, and transgenic mice.
我们采用从头算电子结构计算方法,来获取朊病毒蛋白非感染性形式最强结合位点处铜的两种结构模型。这些模型与电子自旋共振数据的现有实验约束条件相符。铜结合时伴随的肽主链弯曲,与朊病毒蛋白感染性形式的两种最近提出的结构模型中相同序列所需的直β-链主链结构不兼容。我们推测该位点的铜结合可防止转化为感染性形式,讨论了似乎支持和与我们的假设相矛盾的实验数据,并提出了使用重组朊病毒蛋白、基因改造的培养神经元和转基因小鼠进行测试的方案。