Structural flexibility of the pentameric SARS coronavirus envelope protein ion channel.

ABSTRACT: Coronaviruses contain a small envelope membrane protein with cation-selective ion channel activity mediated by its transmembrane domain (ETM). In a computational study, we proposed that ion channel activity can be explained by either of two similar ETM homopentameric transmembrane alpha-helical bundles, related by a approximately 50 degrees rotation of the helices. Later, we tested this prediction, using site-specific infrared dichroism of a lysine-flanked isotopically labeled ETM peptide from the virus responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS, reconstituted in lipid bilayers. However, the data were consistent with the presence of a kink at the center of the ETM alpha-helix, and it did not fit completely either computational model. Herein, we have used native ETM, withou

SUBMITTER: Parthasarathy K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2527252 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature