Ribonuclease A homologues of the zebrafish: polymorphism, crystal structures of two representatives and their evolutionary implications.

ABSTRACT: The widespread and functionally varied members of the ribonuclease A (RNase A) superfamily provide an excellent opportunity to study evolutionary forces at work on a conserved protein scaffold. Representatives from the zebrafish are of particular interest as the evolutionary distance from non-ichthyic homologues is large. We conducted an exhaustive survey of available zebrafish DNA sequences and found significant polymorphism among its four known homologues. In an extension of previous nomenclature, the variants have been named RNases ZF-1a-c,-2a-d,-3a-e and-4. We present the first X-ray crystal structures of zebrafish ribonucleases, RNases ZF-1a and-3e at 1.35-and 1.85 A resolution, respectively. Structure-based clustering with ten other ribonuclease structures indicates greatest similari

SUBMITTER: Kazakou K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2582337 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature