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C C Blake

Publications and source records attributed to C C Blake.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic investigation of methanol dehydrogenase from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1.

Single crystals of methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 have been grown by the vapour diffusion method. These crystals diffract to beyond 2 A resolution and are suitable for X-ray crystallography. They belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and have the following unit cell parameters: a = 66.79 A, b = 108.9 A, c = 188.9 A. One asymmetric unit contains an alpha 2 beta 2 tetramer of MDH and the location of the non-crystallographic 2-fold symmetry axis of this tetramer is defined by the paired positions of the binding sites of heavy atoms in four MDH-derivatives.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1992

The compact domain conformation of human Glu-plasminogen in solution.

A complete understanding of the accelerating mechanisms of plasminogen activation and fibrinolysis necessarily requires structural information on the conformational forms of plasminogen. Given the absence of high-resolution structural data on plasminogen the use of lower resolution approaches has been adopted. Two such approaches have previously indicated a compact conformation of Glu-plasminogen (Tranqui, L., Prandini, M., and Chapel, A. (1979) Biol. Cellulaire, 34, 39-42; Bányai, L. and Patthy, L. (1985) Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 832, 224-227) whereas a third has suggested a fairly extended conformation (Mangel, W., Lin, B. and Ramakrishnan, V. (1990) Science, 248, 69-73). Native Glu-plasminogen has been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments. It is concluded that this molecule in solution is compact (radius of gyration, RG 3.05 +/- 0.02 nm and maximum intramolecular distance, Im 9.1 +/- 0.3 nm) and that the data are consistent with the right-handed spiral structure observed using electron microscopy by Tranqui et al. (1979). A spiral structure of native plasminogen would have important implications for the conformational response of plasminogen to fibrin and concomitant stimulation of plasminogen activation.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed1992

Comparison of the modelled thyroxine binding site in TBG with the experimentally determined site in transthyretin.

The structure of cleaved thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) has been modelled on the crystal structure of cleaved alpha 1-antitrypsin (a member of the serine proteinase inhibitor, serpin, superfamily) based on the high sequence homology exhibited by the two proteins. Particular attention was paid to the identification and modelled characteristics of the thyroxine binding site. The primary aim of the study was to compare the site qualitatively with the crystallographically determined binding site of transthyretin, the other major transporter of thyroxine, in an attempt to explain the higher binding affinity of the site compared with the known thyroxine binding site in transthyretin (10(10) versus 10(8) M-1). The proposed binding site shares some similar characteristics with the transthyretin binding site but also includes a cluster of aromatic residues which are entirely absent in transthyretin. It is proposed that this might account for the substantial difference in binding affinities.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of cathepsin D inhibitor from potatoes.

Single crystals of the glycosylated inhibitor of cathepsin D and trypsin isolated from potato tubers were obtained using the hanging drop vapor diffusion method and ammonium nitrate as precipitant. The crystals exhibit strong F222 pseudo symmetry but belong to the orthorhombic space group C222 or C222(1), with cell parameters a = 73.8 A, b = 119.9 A and c = 133.2 A with two molecules per asymmetric unit. The crystals diffract to a resolution of 2.4 A.

Cathepsin D↗
PubMed1991

S-S bridges of cathepsin B and H from bovine spleen: a basis for cathepsin B model building and possible functional implications for discrimination between exo- and endopeptidase activities among cathepsins B, H and L.

Bovine spleen cathepsin B contains 7 disulfide bridges. Using different chemical and enzymatic cleavage methods we isolated fragments representing the individual disulfides: Cys14-Cys43, Cys26-Cys71, Cys62-Cys128, Cys63-Cys67, Cys100-Cys132, Cys108-Cys119, and Cys148-Cys252. A similar line of approach was applied to determine the S-S bridges of bovine spleen cathepsin H: Cys23-Cys66, Cys57-Cys99, Cys157-Cys207, and Cys212-Cys5A, where Cys5A is located in the propart portion of the procathepsin H chain. On the basis of the knowledge of the S-S bridges of cathepsin B a novel sequence alignment of papain and cathepsin B has been proposed. This enabled us to construct a reasonable 3D-model of cathepsin B and propose the region (a 18 residue insertion between Glu89 and Gly90 of papain) responsible for the carboxypeptidase activity of cathepsin B functioning as a "closure". A similar approach was applied to explain the aminopeptidase activity of cathepsin H. A general model of steric regulation of accessibility of the preformed "endopeptidase-like" binding cleft by distant parts of the polypeptide chain of the proteinases discussed is proposed as a factor determining the mode of binding and thus cleavage of polypeptide substrates.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Proteins, exons and molecular evolution.

The discovery of the eukaryotic gene structure has prompted research into the potential relationship between protein structure and function and the corresponding exon/intron patterns. The exon shuffling hypothesis put forward by Gilbert and Blake suggests the encodement of structural and functional protein elements by exons which can recombine to create novel proteins. This provides an explanation for the relatively rapid evolution of proteins from a few primordial molecules. As the number of gene and protein structures increases, evidence of exon shuffling is becoming more apparent and examples are presented both from modern multi-domain proteins and ancient proteins. Recent work into the chemical properties and catalytic functions of RNA have led to hypotheses based upon the early existence of RNA. These theories suggest that the split gene structure originated in the primordial soup as a result of random RNA synthesis. Stable regions of RNA, or exons, were utilised as primitive enzymes. In response to selective pressures for information storage, the activity was directly transferred from the RNA enzymes or ribozymes, to proteins. These short polypeptides fused together to create larger proteins with a wide range of functions. Recent research into RNA processing and exon size, discussed in this review, provides a clearer insight into the evolutionary development of the gene and protein structure.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1986

Structurally specific binding of halogenated biphenyls to thyroxine transport protein.

Prealbumin is a major thyroxine binding protein in blood that has been well studied crystallographically and has also been proposed as a model for the thyroxine nuclear receptor in tissue. The high-affinity T4 binding site in prealbumin gave a linear plot on Scatchard analysis. The interactions of selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with prealbumin have been studied with use of computer graphics and predictions made regarding relative binding affinities for such structures. These modeling predictions were tested by using competitive binding experiments involving selected PCBs and hydroxylated derivatives as soluble structural probes. The results are in excellent agreement with the modeling predictions and demonstrated that these compounds can be highly effective (3-8 times better than thyroxine itself) competitive binding ligands for thyroxine specific binding sites in prealbumin. Laterally (3,3',5,5'-) substituted PCBs show the highest binding activity and further substitution on nonlateral (2,2',6,6'-) positions lowers binding activity. Lateral chlorine substitution was common to all PCBs studied that showed high binding affinities. The binding model may also suggest a preference for a linear and symmetrical molecular shape. These structural requirements for binding are substantially consistent with the structure-toxicity relationship for closely related compounds of environmental interest. These specific binding interactions are likely to modulate the distribution of certain PCBs and related compounds and alter hormone-protein interactions that are responsible for the maintenance of normal thyroid status. Since prealbumin is also a model for the putative thyroxine nuclear receptor in tissue, our hypothesis that high toxicity of certain halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons is at least in part due to their thyromimetic properties is further supported.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1985

Structure of the human phosphoglycerate kinase gene and the intron-mediated evolution and dispersal of the nucleotide-binding domain.

The human X-linked phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) gene, which is expressed in all somatic cells, was cloned and its structure was determined. The gene is interrupted by 10 introns and spans 23 kilobases. When projected on the three-dimensional structure of the PGK protein molecule, splice junctions are located between established peptide domains. In particular, an intron separates the two mononucleotide subdomains of the ATP-binding region, and additional introns divide each of these subdomains between their characteristic beta-strands. Similar correlations are found in the bipartite NAD-binding domains of alcohol dehydrogenase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, in each case the nucleotide-binding domain is separated from the catalytic domain by at least one intron. The homology of the exon organization in structurally similar regions of these three enzymes suggests that a nucleotide-binding domain evolved by gene duplication and was subsequently dispersed to different proteins through a process of intron-mediated recombination.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

Crystallographic studies of the dynamic properties of lysozyme.

The patterns of atomic displacements in the crystals of hen and human lysozyme derived from independent crystallographic refinement are broadly similar. Analysis of the pattern indicates a close correlation with molecular structure, strongly suggestive of intramolecular motion. The active site of lysozyme is located in a region of high displacement. It is concluded that protein mobility may play a significant part in biological activity and that X-ray crystallography can contribute to its analysis.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Sequence, structure and activity of phosphoglycerate kinase: a possible hinge-bending enzyme.

The fitting of sequenced peptides to a high-resolution X-ray map of phosphoglycerate kinase has yielded the complete sequence and structure of the horse muscle enzyme. Metal ADP and ATP substrates are bound to one of the two widely separated domains in an environment that seems unsuitable for phosphoglycerate binding. The most plausible binding site for the phosphoglycerate substrate is on the other domain about 10 A from the ATP, which implies the possibility of a large scale hinge-bending of the domains to bring the two substrates together in a water-free environment for catalysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Hormone receptors.

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Receptors, Cell Surface↗