Neutron structure of human carbonic anhydrase II: implications for proton transfer.

ABSTRACT: Human carbonic anhydrase II (HCA II) catalyzes the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide to form bicarbonate and a proton. Despite many high-resolution X-ray crystal structures, mutagenesis, and kinetic data, the structural details of the active site, especially the proton transfer pathway, are unclear. A large HCA II crystal was prepared at pH 9.0 and subjected to vapor H-D exchange to replace labile hydrogens with deuteriums. Neutron diffraction studies were conducted at the Protein Crystallography Station at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The structure to 2.0 A resolution reveals several interesting active site features: (1) the Zn-bound solvent appearing to be predominantly a D(2)O molecule, (2) the orientation and hydrogen bonding pattern of solvent molecules in the active site cavi

SUBMITTER: Fisher SZ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2893723 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature