Bis-methionyl Coordination in the Crystal Structure of the Set up a citation RSS feed (Opens new window) Citation Feed
Surface proteins Shr, Shp, and the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter HtsABC are believed to make up the machinery for heme uptake in Streptococcus pyogenes. Shp transfers its heme to HtsA, the lipoprotein component of HtsABC, providing the only experimentally demonstrated example of direct heme transfer from a surface protein to an ABC transporter in Gram-positive bacteria. To understand the structural basis of heme transfer in this system, the heme-binding domain of Shp (Shp{sup 180}) was crystallized, and its structure determined to a resolution of 2.1 {angstrom}. Shp{sup 180} exhibits an immunoglobulin-like {beta}-sandwich fold that has been recently found in other pathogenic bacterial cell surface heme-binding proteins, suggesting that the mechanisms of heme acquisition are conserved. Shp shows minimal amino acid sequence identity to these heme-binding proteins and the structure of Shp{sup 180} reveals a unique heme-iron coordination with the axial ligands being two methionine residues from the same Shp molecule. A negative electrostatic surface of protein structure surrounding the heme pocket may serve as a docking interface for heme transfer from the more basic outer cell wall heme receptor protein Shr. The crystal structure of Shp{sup 180} reveals two exogenous, weakly bound hemins, which form a large interface between the two Shp{sup 180} molecules in the asymmetric unit. These 'extra' hemins form a stacked pair with a structure similar to that observed previously for free hemin dimers in aqueous solution. The propionates of the protein-bound heme coordinate to the iron atoms of the exogenous hemin dimer, contributing to the stability of the protein interface. Gel filtration and analytical ultracentrifugation studies indicate that both full-length Shp and Shp{sup 180} are monomeric in dilute aqueous solution.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1007640
- Journal Information:
- J. Mol. Biol., Vol. 374, Issue (2) ; 10, 2007; ISSN 0022-2836
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
Similar Records
The Shr receptor from Streptococcus pyogenes uses a cap and release mechanism to acquire heme–iron from human hemoglobin
The Streptococcus pyogenes Shr protein captures human hemoglobin using two structurally unique binding domains