Water-Dependent Domain Motion and Flexibility in Ribonuclease A and the Invariant Features in its Hydration Shell. An X-ray Study of Two Low-Humidity Crystal Forms of the Enzyme

Kishan, Radha KV and Chandra, Nagasuma R and Sudarsanakumar, C and Suguna, K and Vijayan, M (1995) Water-Dependent Domain Motion and Flexibility in Ribonuclease A and the Invariant Features in its Hydration Shell. An X-ray Study of Two Low-Humidity Crystal Forms of the Enzyme. In: Acta Crystallographica Section D, 51 . pp. 703-710.

PDF 153.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

The crystal structures of 88 and 79% relative humidity forms of ribonuclease A, resulting from water-mediated transformations, have been refined employing the restrained least-squares method using X-ray data collected on an area detector to R = 0.173 for 15 326 observed reflections in the 10-1.5 ,~ resolution shell and R = 0.176 for 8534 observed reflections in the 10-1.8 ,~, shell, respectively. The comparison of these structures with those of the native, the phosphate-bound and the sulfate-bound forms demonstrates that the mobility of the ribonuclease A molecule involves hinge-bending movement of the two domains and local flexibility within them, particularly at the termini of regular secondary structures and in loops. The comparison also leads to the identification of 31 invariant water molecules in the hydration shell of the enzyme, many of which are involved in holding different parts of the molecule together and in stabilizing local structure. The conformational changes that accompany the partial removal of the surrounding water, particularly those observed in the 79% form, could be similar to those that occur during enzyme action.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Acta Crystallographica Section D
Publisher:	International Union of Crystallography
Additional Information:	The copyright belongs to International Union of Crystallography.
Keywords:	ribonuclease a;x ray study;enzyme;protein hydration
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Molecular Biophysics Unit
Date Deposited:	02 Aug 2004
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 04:14
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/1218

Actions (login required)

View Item