Solution structure of sperm lysin yields novel insights into molecular dynamics of rapid protein evolution.

ABSTRACT: Protein evolution is driven by the sum of different physiochemical and genetic processes that usually results in strong purifying selection to maintain biochemical functions. However, proteins that are part of systems under arms race dynamics often evolve at unparalleled rates that can produce atypical biochemical properties. In the marine mollusk abalone, lysin and vitelline envelope receptor for lysin (VERL) are a pair of rapidly coevolving proteins that are essential for species-specific interactions between sperm and egg. Despite extensive biochemical characterization of lysin-including crystal structures of multiple orthologs-it was unclear how sites under positive selection may facilitate recognition of VERL. Using a combination of targeted mutagenesis and multidimensional NMR, we pr

SUBMITTER: Wilburn DB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5819389 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature