Structural Studies of a Family of Proteins from the Diurnal Cyanobacteria Cyanothece 51142 that Contain an Unusual Repeated Five-Residues Domain (RFR).
EMSL Project ID
16298a
Abstract
As complete genome sequence information became available for many organisms, a novel family of proteins containing a tandem pentapeptide repeat was discovered that can be approximately described by the general sequence motif A[D/N]LXX. Today, the Pfam database lists 1461 pentapeptide repeat proteins (PRPs) (Pfam00805). In approximately two-thirds of these proteins the pentapeptide repeat is the only recognizable domain (Vetting, 2006). While the overwhelming majority of these proteins have been identified in prokaryotes, they are also found in eukaryotes, including one protein in humans. The number of chromosomal copies of PRPs is not evenly distributed in prokaryotic genomes. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria appear especially endowed with 16 PRPs identified in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 and 40 in Nostoc punctiforme. The genome of the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. strain 51142 has recently been sequenced and 35 PRPs identified in its chromosome (Welsh and Pakrasi, personal communication). Cyanothece 51142 is a complex photosynthetic microorganism that sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Understanding the biology and ecology of this organism is of central importance to DOE?s bioremediation efforts with our research supporting DOE?s science mission to build and operate ?state-of-the-art? scientific user facilities. Furthermore, understanding the functional and structural details of proteins from Cyanothece is part of a Membrane Biology Grand Challenge Project, lead by Dr. Pakrasi at Washington University in St. Louis. Towards fulfilling the goals of the DOE and the Membrane Biology Grand Challenge, we are characterizing the functional and structural properties of the PRP family of proteins that are especially prolific in cyanobacteria.
Project Details
Project type
Grand Challenge
Start Date
2006-04-04
End Date
2010-04-08
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Buchko GW, and HJ Sofia. 2008. "Backbone 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR assignments for the Cyanothece 51142 protein cce_0567: a protein associated with nitrogen fixation in the DUF683 family." Biomolecular NMR Assignments 2:25-28.
Buchko GW, and H Robinson. 2012. "Crystal structure of cce_0566 from Cyanothece 51142, a protein associated with nitrogen fixation in the DUF269 family." FEBS Letters 586(4):350-355. doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2012.01.037