The S-layer protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356: Identification and characterisation of domains responsible for S-protein assembly and cell wall binding

Lactobacillus acidophilus, like many other bacteria, harbors a surface layer consisting of a protein (SA-protein) of 43 kDa. SA-protein could be readily extracted and crystallized in vitro into large crystalline patches on lipid monolayers with a net negative charge but not on lipids with a net neutral charge. Reconstruction of the S-layer from...

Structural and functional analysis of the S-layer protein crystallisation domain of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 : evidence for protein : protein interaction of two subdomains

The structure of the crystallisation domain, SAN, of the S A-protein of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 was analysed by insertion and deletion mutagenesis, and by proteolytic treatment. Mutant S A-protein synthesised in Escherichia coli with 7-13 amino acid insertions near the N terminus or within regions of sequence variation in SAN (amino...

Structure of Rhodococcus erythropolis limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase reveals a novel active site

Epoxide hydrolases are essential for the processing of epoxide-containing compounds in detoxification or metabolism. The classic epoxide hydrolases have an α/β hydrolase fold and act via a two-step reaction mechanism including an enzyme-substrate intermediate. We report here the structure of the limonene-1,2-epoxide hydrolase from Rhodococcus...

A 16-Residue Peptide Fragment of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor, MIF-(50-65), Exhibits Redox Activity and Has MIF-like Biological Functions

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine that participates in the host inflammatory response. A Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys (CXXC)-based thiol-protein oxidoreductase activity of MIF is associated with certain biological functions. Peptides spanning the CXXC region of thiol-protein oxidoreductases retain some biochemical properties of the...

A hepatocyte nuclear factor-3 site in the fibrinogen β promoter is important for interleukin 6-induced expression, and its activity is influenced by the adjacent -148C/T polymorphism

An elevated plasma fibrinogen level is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, an understanding of the regulation of fibrinogen expression is important. Inflammation and genetic variation of the fibrinogen β gene regulate plasma fibrinogen levels, and there are indications that inflammation and genetic variation...