Functional and structural analysis of the conserved EFhd2 protein.

ABSTRACT: EFhd2 is a novel protein conserved from C. elegans to H. sapiens. This novel protein was originally identified in cells of the immune and central nervous systems. However, it is most abundant in the central nervous system, where it has been found associated with pathological forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau. The physiological or pathological roles of EFhd2 are poorly understood. In this study, a functional and structural analysis was carried to characterize the molecular requirements for EFhd2's calcium binding activity. The results showed that mutations of a conserved aspartate on either EF-hand motif disrupted the calcium binding activity, indicating that these motifs work in pair as a functional calcium binding domain. Furthermore, characterization of an identified single

SUBMITTER: Ferrer-Acosta Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3633529 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature