A 1.3-A structure of zinc-bound N-terminal domain of calmodulin elucidates potential early ion-binding step.

ABSTRACT: Calmodulin (CaM) is a 16.8-kDa calcium-binding protein involved in calcium-signal transduction. It is the canonical member of the EF-hand family of proteins, which are characterized by a helix-loop-helix calcium-binding motif. CaM is composed of N- and C-terminal globular domains (N-CaM and C-CaM), and within each domain there are two EF-hand motifs. Upon binding calcium, CaM undergoes a significant, global conformational change involving reorientation of the four helix bundles in each of its two domains. This conformational change upon ion binding is a key component of the signal transduction and regulatory roles of CaM, yet the precise nature of this transition is still unclear. Here, we present a 1.3-A structure of zinc-bound N-terminal calmodulin (N-CaM) solved by single-wavelength ano

SUBMITTER: Warren JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2128742 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature