Structural insight into nucleotide recognition by human death-associated protein kinase
2009

Understanding How DAPK Recognizes Nucleotides

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Author Information

Author(s): Laurie K. McNamara, D. Martin Watterson, Joseph S. Brunzelle

Primary Institution: Northwestern University

Hypothesis

How does the recognition of nucleotides by DAPK induce changes in its structure?

Conclusion

The study reveals that nucleotide binding induces localized conformational changes in DAPK, particularly in the glycine-rich loop region.

Supporting Evidence

  • The crystal structures of DAPK–ADP–Mg2+ and DAPK–AMP-PNP–Mg2+ were determined at 1.85 and 2.00 Å resolution.
  • Localized changes in the glycine-rich loop region were observed upon nucleotide binding.
  • The study provides the first DAPK–ADP–Mg2+ structure, allowing for comparative analysis with other DAPK conformations.

Takeaway

This study looks at a protein called DAPK and how it changes shape when it binds to different molecules, which is important for understanding how it works in the body.

Methodology

The crystal structures of DAPK in complex with ADP and AMP-PNP were determined using X-ray crystallography.

Limitations

The study primarily focuses on static representations of the protein structures, which may not capture dynamic changes.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1107/S0907444908043679

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