Structural and energetic determinants of adhesive binding specificity in type I cadherins.

ABSTRACT: Type I cadherin cell-adhesion proteins are similar in sequence and structure and yet are different enough to mediate highly specific cell-cell recognition phenomena. It has previously been shown that small differences in the homophilic and heterophilic binding affinities of different type I family members can account for the differential cell-sorting behavior. Here we use a combination of X-ray crystallography, analytical ultracentrifugation, surface plasmon resonance and double electron-electron resonance (DEER) electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify the molecular determinants of type I cadherin dimerization affinities. Small changes in sequence are found to produce subtle structural and dynamical changes that impact relative affinities, in part via electrostatic and hyd

SUBMITTER: Vendome J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4210030 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature